KARACHI, July 7: Speakers at a seminar on family planning here on Thursday called for efficient and effective motivation campaigns across the country, particularly in rural areas, for adequate utilisation of population control programme, coupled with easy public accessibility to relevant facilities across the country. They also underscored the need for streamlining efforts being made to extend relevant facilities to rural and remote parts of the country.

The seminar was organized by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in connection with the United Nations’ World Population Day.

Additional Secretary, Sindh Population Welfare Department, Nasreen Zehra, in her presentation mentioned that the Sindh government had embarked upon a plan to sensitise male population and for which 1,800 male motivators were being hired and provided necessary facilities to reach the targeted population.

She said there are also around 400 population welfare centres, adding priority was being given on spacing, further adding that contraceptive need to be supplemented with due consideration for reproductive health of women.

The department, she said, had adopted an approach based on principles of dissemination of knowledge, awareness and prevention among concerned segments of society.

She also claimed that 33,000 women councillors have also been involved in making population welfare a success, adding assessment is also under way regarding the positive role of women councillors in the context of the programme.

She said that knowledge, attitude and practice were three major steps in population welfare.

“In Pakistan, even now, educated class is also not agree to provide equal rights to women.”

“Use of contraceptive methods is no solution to control increasing population, other steps should also be taken,” she said.

Regional Director, Family Planning Association of Pakistan Dr. Khalil Ahmed Shaikh, stressed the need for public awareness regarding importance of family planning and also suggested the need for a public motivation campaign across the country, preventing early marriages, adding this could help contain the population growth by 35 per cent.

“In Pakistan, men take decision regarding family planning, while the world over, men prepare policies for women, which is not justified. Men must realize their responsibilities in birth control keeping in view their resources,” he added.

He suggested marriage should not be less than 22 or 23 years, to help control almost 35 to 40 per cent population growth. “Contraceptives be easily accessible in rural and urban areas.”

He said his association runs two family health hospitals and 46 family health clinics in Karachi.

In welcome address, Director PPF Ms Samina Ishaq said this year’s theme focuses on gender equality and how to give equal opportunities and rights, including reproductive rights to women. Men and women should have equal rights in every sphere of life, particularly in family planning, she added.

Head of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics Dr Ziauddin Hospital Dr Rubina Hussain and Green Star’s Dr Aleya Ali, also spoke.

The seminar was followed by a question-and-answer session.

—PPI