Gross Root Public Awareness, Family Planning Key To Managing Pop. Growth

News Desk

Islamabad: Enhancing public awareness through strict implementation of quality family planning and counselling workshops at the grass-roots level is imperative to controlling population growth as the country’s populace is increasing rapidly with high fertility rates, suggested Population Programme Wing Director General (DG) Dr. Sabina Durrani.

“It is the need of the hour for our leadership to realise that only a limited, inclusive, and well-managed population can steer the country on the road to sustainable development, adding that overpopulation is a burden that causes an imbalance in living standards,” Dr Sabina Durrani said

She further stated that in order to improve the overall maternal health in Pakistan’s rural areas, inclusive national policies must be strictly implemented so that the rural population can also avail of healthcare facilities, and gender-based inequalities must be eliminated.

DG Sabina added that all stakeholders need to collectively be part of an important initiative to strengthen the quality of maternal health and family planning services.

Dr Durrani further added that family planning programmes need to be successfully implemented, the healthcare infrastructure needs to be revaluated, and the funding allocated to the health sector needs to be increased.

She emphasised that funding for women’s education and awareness activities would also lessen sociocultural factors that contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity in rural areas.

DG suggested that communities, NGOs, and government organisations work together to form a special and collaborative project. Young moms should receive mother-feeding education as breast cancer rates are rising as a result of mothers’ reluctance to breastfeed, Dr Sabina further said.