PESHAWAR: The Provincial Population Task Force (PPTF) has set demographic target to reduce population growth from 2.8 per cent to 1.8 per cent by 2025.

According to an official statement issued here on Tuesday, the task force will try to further bring it down to 1.7 per cent by 2030. The plan was discussed in the third meeting of PPTF, which was chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

The meeting was informed that hiring of staff for 200 family welfare centres in the province was in process and estimated cost of the project was Rs 858 million. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Reproductive Healthcare Rights Act, 2020 has been enacted whereas Early Child Marriage Restraint Bill has been drafted and vetted by the law department.

Similarly, the task force has endorsed national narratives of ‘Tawazun’ and adopted it as provincial narrative. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocacy and Communication Strategy has also been approved.

The statement said that as a mass movement leading to a call of action involving political leaders, ulema and corporate sectors, efforts were underway in the province. It added that 202 ulema were trained as master trainers whereas 930 others were trained under step down training programme in various districts.

Staff being hired for 200 family welfare centres in the province

The meeting was told that 700 ulema were trained under UNFPA annual work plan. Behavioural change communication is a part of innovative scheme under ADP and robust communication campaign has been launched through print and electronic media.

A non-ADP scheme titled “integrated project for implementation of CCI recommendations” to address high population growth rate has also been approved with a total cost of Rs91.483 million.

The statement said that 18 public sector universities included the topic of “Population Dynamics of Pakistan” in various courses and the same was under process in rest of the universities.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy and provincial services academy have also been approached to include population modules in the training material.

The meeting decided to constitute a ministerial committee to come up with workable and solid proposals to implement the action plan in an effective way.

The members of the committee include Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra, Minister for Education Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister for Local Government Akbar Ayub, Special Assistant for Population Welfare Ahmad Hussain Shah, Special Assistant for Information Kamran Bangash and Special Assistant for Religious Affairs Mohammad Zahoor.

To ensure universal access to family planning and reproductive health services, all the public health facilities, BHUs, RHCs, THQs, DHQs and tertiary healthcare facilities have been mandated to deliver family planning services as part of the essential services package.

Similarly, contraceptives have been made part of essential drug lists. Non-governmental and civil society organisations are working in close coordination with provincial health and population welfare departments to extend family planning services to under-served and un-served areas.

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to make the family welfare centres functional within the next one and half months. He asked them to ensure judicious utilisation of resources under the national action plan.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2021