Got urged to review commitment

Lahore - Speakers at a media workshop on reproductive health urged the government to review its commitment that it made for improving access to sexual and reproductive health services for young people as part of a 20-year commitment set out at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) organised a workshop on the 'ICPD+15 and Counting: Emerging Challenges and Solution on the occasion of World Population Day. It was addressed by President Rahnuma Ms Suryya Jabeen, Syed Kamal Shah, Saman Yazdani, Fahd Shafiq and Ejaz Haider Bokhari. Ms Suryya Jabeen said 'ICPD+15 and Counting campaign has been launched that aims at providing young people all around the world access to sexual and reproductive health services regardless of their age, gender and origin. She said that support from young people would be brought to life through the 'Count Me In petition. She said that through the campaign and activities around the world, they were aiming at collecting signatures and petitions from young people representing every country around the globe. This petition would be presented to the UN Secretary General next autumn, she added. Nabila Malick, Director Rahnuma FPAP, said that ICPD+l5 and Counting, a global campaign, had been launched to mark the 15 year point of the commitment made by 179 governments to improve family planning and sexual and reproductive health services, including services for maternal health, and to provide information and access to affordable condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. She said however in Pakistan youth sexual and reproductive issues were not a priority of the government despite its commitment made at the international level on more than one occasion. Syed Kamal Shah from Rahnuma FPAP said that young needed and desired appropriate information and services before and after they become sexually active. He added that collectively young people were the most marginalized group in society and had the least access to sexual and reproductive health services and information. He demanded of the government to carefully review its promises to provide better access to sexual and reproductive health services to young people.

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