ISLAMABAD, March 1: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) would provide $6 million to support various women-related progarmmes in Pakistan’s 10 districts and Azad Kashmir in 2006.

The assistance was formalized with the government partners on Wednesday at a signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Population Welfare.

UNFPA representative in Pakistan Dr France Donnay signed the Annual Work Plans for 2006 with the representatives of the ministries of population, health, education, women development and Statistics Division.

Under its 7th Country Programme of Assistance the UNFPA would support various activities in two districts each in the four provinces and two in Azad Kashmir.

Pakistan has a population growth rate of 2.16 per cent. The estimated maternal mortality ratio is 300-700/100,000. About 77 per cent of the births take place at home. The infant and under five mortality rates per 1,000 live births are 82 and 103, respectively.

The Annual Workplans for 2006 are part of UNFPA’s 7th Country Programme of Assistance to Pakistan covering the period 2004-08 which was approved by the government in early 2004.

UNFPA’s assistance is aimed at strengthening maternal and reproductive health, support for girls’ education, strengthening the technical capacities at the women’s ministry and the Statistics Division.

The goal of the seventh and current country programme (2004- 08) is to improve the reproductive health status of the people of Pakistan, and is specially focused on helping couples achieve their desired family size while also improving maternal health.

At the provincial and federal level, UNFPA’s activities are directed towards planners and policymakers, ensuring that population-related issues, including reproductive health and gender are part of the government’s poverty reduction strategies.