KARACHI - Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM), an independent network member of Population Services International, presented two studies on family planning at a seminar titled ‘What has worked – The Evidence’ conducted at the 17th Annual Population Research Conference in Karachi yesterday.
The seminar was chaired by Dr Yasmeen Sabih Qazi, Senior Country Advisor Population Program – The David and Lucile Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Titled ‘Future of Family Planning in Pakistan’, the first study highlights the high level FP2020, commitments made by the government at the 2012 London Summit on family planning including specific policy, financial, and programme and service delivery pledges – to meet their family planning goals, and the role that has played in providing public and private sector support for family planning initiatives in the country.
The main findings of this research paper suggest that perhaps it is time to rethink family planning programming in the larger context of how families think of their children and to ask questions that can help refocus the debate and programming in family planning.
The second study, titled ‘Evidence Based Decision Making at Greenstar’, presented evidence on increasing use of modern and traditional methods of contraception in Pakistan captured through three rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 1990-1991, 2006-07 and 2012-13.
It highlights the significant growth in male methods against the virtual stagnancy in female reversible methods. The study also explains how Greenstar is using this evidence in its strategic planning and developing new interventions for family planning.
“Recent years have seen extremely successful advocacy for family planning in Pakistan that translated into ambitious high level FP2020 commitments made by the government. But, a lot still needs to be done to ensure Pakistan works toward achieving universal access to reproductive health and raising the contraceptive prevalence rate to 55 percent by 2020,” said Dr Syed Azizur Rab, CEO – GSM.
“Through this seminar, we have tried to highlight key challenges faced, and how we require a shift in policies and our collective strategies to achieve family planning targets,” Syed Aziz added.
The session also presented an opportunity to explore such themes as public-private partnerships, task shifting and broader policies and strategies related to family planning.