Pak has only 35pc contraceptive prevalence rate
Pakistan's current Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), for modern and traditional methods put together is only 35 percent, one of the lowest CPRs in the region.
Sharing the findings of launching ceremony of two reports on use of contraceptives and unintended pregnancies here on Wednesday, speakers pointed out that the latest Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS 2012-13), 20 percent of married women of reproductive age have an unmet need for contraception. The reports titled "Investigating the Low Patterns of Modern Contraceptives Use in Pakistan" and "Induced Abortions and Unintended Pregnancies in Pakistan", were launched by Population Council of Pakistan.
Addressing the launching ceremony as chief guest, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Saira Afzal Tarar said there is an urgent need for better coordination efforts at the national level and well thought out policies and programs at the provincial level that take into account the new evidence from these two studies. "It gives us great cause for concern that Pakistan is the world's sixth most populous country with a record of slow fertility decline compared to other Asian countries despite the fact that people want to better plan their families but are unable to do so due to issues of access to services and quality of care ," she said.
The minister said it is clear that Pakistan can meet its high level of unmet need and raise contraceptive prevalence so its CPR can be at the same levels as Bangladesh, Iran and even Saudi Arabia. "We have to shake up the health system to deliver birth spacing services as part of its other maternal care services - men should also be at the centre of these services", she stated She further said, there is a need to implement policies and programs with accountability mechanisms in place our indicators will not improve. Dr. Zeba A. Sathar, Country Director, Population Council, Islamabad and report coauthor Dr. Susheela Singh, VicePresident, Guttmacher Institute, New York, presented the study findings. They informed that the article reports the unintended pregnancy rate increased between 2002 and 2012, rising from 71 to 93 per 1,000 women aged 15-49.