KARACHI: Experts stress increase in allocation for health, education
KARACHI, July 8: Speakers at a seminar on Thursday urged the government to allocate sufficient budget for health and education and ensure its proper utilization to cope with reproductive health issues.
They also emphasized on public education in this regard to ensure the participation of people in such programmes, and to save precious lives. The seminar on "Reproductive Health and Rights for All" was organized in connection with the UNFPA's World Population Day, by the Pakistan Press Foundation at its Vicky Zeitlin Media Library. PPF Director Samina Ishaq delivered welcome address on the occasion.
Regional director, Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Dr Khaleel Ahmed Shaikh, in his presentation informed the audience that components of reproductive health included safe motherhood, adolescence, STIs/TRIs/ HIV/AIDS, infertility, breast and cervical cancer, unsafe abortion, menopause, family planning and sexual and reproductive rights.
He said that all these issues must be addressed at the earliest and added that safe delivery was the right of every woman, and they should be free to decide about the number of babies they should have and the time of their marriages.
"We need to address infertility issue and common causes should be identified. Menopause and breast cancer should also be diagnosed early and every woman more than 35 years must have her regular check up for breast cancer," he said, adding that unsafe abortions must not be recommended without medical reasons, as they caused a number of unreported deaths among women.
He said that women's lives should not be put at risk due to pregnancy and all women must be provided opportunities to lead a healthy and free life, while no women should be subjected to forced pregnancy, sterilization and abortion.
"Every client of sexual and reproductive health services has the right to access new reproductive technologies, which are safe and acceptable," he maintained. Vice-President, Population Association of Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Yahya Waliullah, presented statistics about population and informed the audience that Pakistan's population was approximately 150 million, with a growth rate of 2.1 per annum, which would be doubled in the next 33 years.
Defining the population composition, he said that under-15 people made 42 per cent of the population, while 15-24 years were 19 per cent, 25-64 years were 35 per cent and 65 and above people made about 4 per cent of the country's population.
"According to population and reproductive health indicators, crude birth rate is 30 in 1,000, while crude death rate is 9 in 1,000, infant mortality rate 85 in 1,000 live births, child mortality rate 103 in 1,000 live births, maternal mortality rate was 533 in 100,000 live births," he added.
He said that the total fertility rate was 4.8 births per woman, and total life expectancy at birth was 63 years, both in males and females. There was one doctor for 1,529 people, one nurse for 3,732 people and one hospital bed for 1,495 people in the country, he maintained.
"77 per cent deliveries are done at homes and only 28 per cent population use contraceptives, while total literacy rate (10 years and above) is 49 per cent, in which, 61 per cent are males and 37 per cent females," he said, adding that there was need to prevent HIV/AIDS and Fistula, make motherhood safer, promote gender equality, assist in emergencies and to secure reproductive health supplies.
The UNFPA Regional Coordinator Dr Nasreen Jamal Khan informed the audience about the steps and plans of the UN body and urged them to create awareness among the people about reproductive health. -PPI
