Universal access to family planning would benefit all of Pakistan
It has been more than five decades since the international community pledged to uphold and defend the right to family planning in the 1968 Tehran declaration, but women across the world still remain either blase or unable to enjoy this right. For some reason, this basic human right always seems to be under attack around the world.
“Family planning is not only a matter of human rights; it is also central to women’s empowerment, reducing poverty, and achieving sustainable development,” said UN Population Fund Executive Director Natalia Kanem. She also reiterates that: “Investments in family planning today are investments in the health and wellbeing of women for generations to come.” However, in developing countries, more than 200 million women still lack safe and effective family planning methods, largely due to a lack of information or services.
Women and girls all around the world should have autonomy over their own bodies. In order to achieve that, women, whether they are from developed or developing countries, should have the right to make informed decisions, and they should be able to have control over their sexual and reproductive health, free from all abuse, violence, coercion and discrimination. Women should have a right to decide freely the number and spacing of their children.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, women with unintended pregnancies — the number of which is frequently higher among the poor — often receive worse prenatal care and have worse birth outcomes. When women are able to decide when to have children and space out their pregnancies, their children are less likely to be born prematurely or have low birth weights.
Evidence also suggests that women who choose spaced childbirth by using modern contraception face a lower risk of post-partum death. Too many women die during childbirth due to preventable causes. Although much progress has been made, maternal mortality is still very high. In Pakistan, it stands at 276 per 100,000 live births. The death of a mother results in vulnerable families and, even when the infants survive, they are more likely to die before reaching their second birthday. Hence, family planning remains one of the most effective tools to end preventable maternal deaths.
Women and girls all around the world should have autonomy over their own bodies. In order to achieve that, women should have the right to make informed decisions, and they should be able to have control over their reproductive health.
Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba
In 2018, the population of Pakistan exceeds 200 million, putting it in sixth place in the global list of countries by population. Our current birth rate is 29.8 per 1,000 people. Looking at the demographic profile, one notes that 31 percent of our population is under the age of 15 and 21 percent is aged 15 to 24. These are age brackets with limited productivity but that require a huge investment in education, health and other social services. Within the perspective of our current economic realities, let’s be honest, how much can the government provide to its citizens if the population was to carry on growing at the current rate?
Effective family planning and contraceptive programs can slow down the population growth rate, resulting in a reduced demand for education, healthcare, food, water, housing, transportation and jobs. It can also allow policy-makers to formulate better services for the masses.
Pakistan contends with inequality, poverty, the risk of natural disasters, economic and political instability, and security threats, as well a large and growing youth bulge. All of these pose immense challenges to delivering reproductive health services.
In Pakistan, the numbers are quite staggering. Although it is a signatory of the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, the number of couples with an unmet need for family planning is an overwhelming 6.3 million, while the contraceptive prevalence rate is 35 percent, of which only 26 percent comprises of modern CPR.
Sept. 26 was marked as World Contraception Day. Should we be able to keep in tune with all our pledges — made with so much vigor and zeal but forgotten just as quickly — Pakistani women would be able to take charge of their reproductive health issues and would be able to make informed choices regarding the number and spacing of children in future. This empowerment would further the cause of achieving the country’s development goals, as females constitute half of our population and can effectively contribute to the economic prosperity of their houses and communities, as well as the country.
If we are to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and meeting all family planning needs, the government of Pakistan, as well as the international community, should not forget its affirmation at the 1968 International Conference on Human Rights.
– Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba is a freelance consultant working in the areas of environment and health. She has a keen interest in climate change and its impact on population health and human security.
