KARACHI, July 11: The country observed the World Population Day here on Friday with a commitment to bring down the present population growth rate of 2.4 per cent to 1.9 per cent against the backdrop of the fact that the total fertility rate of the country comes to 4.8, and the contraceptive prevalence is no more than 28 per cent.

The theme for the current year— Reproductive Health of Youth and Adolescents, holds significance for Pakistan where the two groups constitute more than half of the total population.

“The situation is aggravated by the fact that key stake-holders are little sensitised about importance of reproductive health,” Dr Yaseem Sabeeh Kazi of PAVHNA observed.

Health-care experts, talking to APP, underscored the need for adequate intervention with regard to the reproductive health of youths.

According to them, equity in gender relations, responsible sexual behaviours, access to appropriate information and services, active involvement in responsible parenthood followed by appropriate family planning programmes and adequate provision for health and nutrition are prerequisite to improve the existent reproductive status of the masses in the country.

Dr Anees Sami, principal of the Institute of Reproductive Health Training called for a strong and realistic public motivation strategy to address the issue.

The provincial department for population welfare claims to have formulated new policies to provide quality family planning and reproductive health services at the grassroots level.

Under the strategy, reproductive health services centres are said to have been established at the taluka level, besides provision of mobile service units and family welfare centres at the UC level.

Mushtaq Ali Memon, Sindh secretary for population welfare, said the department was contemplating to increase its existent facilities in a phased manner.

Giving details of the scheme, he said the current number of 346 welfare centres would be raised to 416 , 34 service units to 50 and 28 rural health centres to 34, besides enhancing the number of 245 village-based male workers to 845 by the year 2004.

The secretary said that necessary measures were also being adopted to seek maximum involvement of the male population in the issue of population explosion. — APP