Punjab to Benefit from Strengthened Resilience, Reproductive Health Integration

News Desk

Lahore:  Save the Children, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has organized a three-day consultative workshop on strengthening resilience and reproductive health integration in Punjab.

The opening session was held in Lahore with key stakeholders to deliberate and devise strategies for improving resilience and reproductive health programmes in the province.

This initiative is in line with the government’s commitment to FP2030, a global partnership to support family planning, and its national objectives, according to a news release issued on Wednesday.

The event featured discussions on current scenarios in disasters and emergencies, the importance of Minimum Services Packages (MISP), and the establishment of a Resilience Reference Group in Punjab. MISPs are a set of essential reproductive health services that should be available during emergencies. The Resilience Reference Group will provide guidance and support to the implementation of resilience-building strategies in Punjab.

The workshop is expected to result in a set of recommendations that will be used to strengthen resilience and reproductive health integration in Punjab. The recommendations will focus on improving the coordination of resilience and reproductive health programmes, strengthening the capacity of health workers, and increasing access to reproductive health services in vulnerable communities.

“We are committed to working with the Government of Pakistan and other partners to strengthen resilience and reproductive health integration in Punjab,” said the Country Director for Save the Children in Pakistan. “This workshop is an important step in developing a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of vulnerable communities in the province.”

“Reproductive health is an essential part of resilience,” said UNFPA’s representative in Pakistan. “When women and girls have access to reproductive health services, they are better equipped to cope with disasters and emergencies.”

Save the Children and UNFPA are working together to improve resilience and reproductive health in Pakistan. Save the Children is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides humanitarian aid and development assistance to children and their families. UNFPA is the United Nations agency focused on sexual and reproductive health.

The opening session was attended by DG Health Services Punjab, Dr Ilyas Gondal, and representatives from leading government departments, the UN, NGOs, and INGOs.

Save the Children Pakistan works towards enhancing national and sub-national capacities in resilience programming, emergency preparedness, and response to ensure the availability of life-saving interventions during humanitarian situations, including reproductive health services and gender-based violence (GBV) response and recovery.

Chief Guest of the Opening Ceremony, DG Health Services Punjab, Dr Muhammad Ilyas Gondal, while giving his remarks, said, “I am honoured to have been part of the consultations to help address the critical issues of resilience and reproductive health integration in Punjab. Such initiatives play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of communities and vulnerable populations during disasters and emergencies.”

Dr Rasheed Ahmed, Humanitarian Analyst, UNFPA, briefed the participants on the Resilience Framework and its significance for vulnerable populations and reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to support the government and all stakeholders in building resilience in the province.

Muhammad Naeem, Director PQEI, Save the Children, thanked the participants for their support and shared: “Save the Children is committed to supporting initiatives that positively impact the lives of children, women, and communities.

He added that reproductive health is often gravely overlooked in humanitarian relief efforts that prioritize food and emergency medicine. That’s why Save the Children works with diverse partners, including humanitarian organisations, to ensure women and girls affected by crises have reproductive health options.”

Two days of technical sessions of the workshop will focus on analysing and prioritising resilience and activities, identifying key participants for the resilience reference group, and identifying gaps and recommendations for an effective action plan through focus group discussions.

The workshop featured prominent speakers, including representatives from the Health Department of Punjab, UNFPA, Save the Children International, sector specialists, and technical consultants.