PESHAWAR: Dafpak, an organisation dedicated to enhancing population health outcomes,

has handed over assets of its communication platform Khairkhwah and other material including toolkits developed under its public sector service delivery (PSSD) component to population welfare department.

The event, held at a local hotel here on Monday, was attended by officials of health department, a press release said.

The director general population welfare department, Ayesha Ihsan, and others spoke on the occasion. They acknowledged the contribution of the programme to

healthcare and family planning services.

They said that the programme, valued at £90 million, was recognised as the largest donor-funded family planning initiative in the country.

Two of the key components of the programme focus on behaviour change through multi-channel

and multi-category brand Khairkhwah and delivering quality family planning services to users through public sector health facilities.

Khairkhwah initiative is meant to boost demand for modern contraceptives and eliminate barriers to family planning.

The brand has played a pivotal role in breaking barriers and normalising family planning practices in the country by reaching more than 95 million people through television, more than 20 million through print and outdoor advertising, 36 million through social media, and 4.5 million directly through community outreach.

They said that PSSD component was focused on engaging with the provincial and district-level governments to strengthen systems for family planning.

The intervention districts included Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera where the programme averted 120 maternal deaths, 76,344 unsafe abortions and provided services to 236,620 family planning users over the course of programme.

The Dafpak’s PSSD team leader for the province, Hassan Mehmood Khan informed the participants of the event about project’s impacts, achievements and insights.

“This collaboration is a testament to the shared commitment to improving reproductive health. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Khairkhwah in advancing our goals,” said Ayesha Ihsan on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024