Islamabad: Merging health and population services and forging strong public-private partnerships are essential for effective service delivery in healthcare, as the government alone cannot provide contraceptives and ensure outreach needed to control population growth, Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, said on Friday.
Speaking at a high-level meeting organised by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination in collaboration with FP2030, UNFPA, Greenstar and other partners, he warned that Pakistan’s contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) had remained stuck at 12.4 percent from 1965 to 1994 and rose to 30 percent after the launch of the Lady Health Worker programme under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto which is now around 34%.
“Since then, progress has stalled. Detachment of population from health has caused a serious setback. For effective service delivery, population must be merged with health, and the involvement of the private sector is essential,” he said.
Prof. Shahzad stressed that contraceptive provision should not be seen as the sole responsibility of government. “Without community-based programmes and active participation of private providers, CPR will not increase and Pakistan will continue to face rapid population growth,” he cautioned.
Religious scholars at the event reminded participants that the Holy Quran instructs mothers to breastfeed their children for two years, while some Islamic jurists extended this to two and a half years, a practice that naturally supports birth spacing and maternal well-being.
Mufti Ghulam Majid of the Council of Islamic Ideology said Islam gives immense importance to women’s health and family welfare.
“Imam Ghazali advised there should be gaps in childbirth to protect the health and beauty of women, while also ensuring healthier children. Imam Abu Hanifa even said that in some cases children should be breastfed for 30 months. These are examples showing that birth spacing is not only permissible but encouraged for the welfare of mothers and children,” he said.
He urged policymakers to adopt culturally sensitive terms such as family welfare, maternal and child health, and women’s well-being, warning that phrases like “controlling family size” were often seen as a Western agenda and created resistance.
Federal Health Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh said family planning is a fundamental right and a central pillar of the government’s health strategy.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitments under FP2030 to increase contraceptive prevalence, reduce unmet need and expand access to reproductive health services, stressing that empowering women with reproductive choices is vital for achieving national development goals.
Other speakers, including Director General Population Dr. Shabana Saleem and representatives of FP2030 and UNFPA, said family planning is not only a health intervention but also a driver of women’s empowerment, stronger families and sustainable communities.
The event concluded with a call for aligning family planning with Islamic values, integrating population and health services, and adopting community-based strategies to ensure healthier mothers, healthier children and a sustainable future for Pakistan.
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