World Bank
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Family Planning Programme has received approval from the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank for a funding of $100 million.
This initiative aims to increase the utilization of family planning services in Punjab, which is home to more than half of the country’s population.
According to a statement from the WB, the program will provide timely and free access to quality family planning services.
Additionally, the World Bank plans to institutionalize quality of care throughout the family planning services delivery system.
To create awareness about the benefits of family planning, the program will also support public information and advocacy campaigns. The goal is to ensure that more families in Punjab understand the importance of family planning.
Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, emphasized the significance of the program, stating, “This important program aims to achieve universal access to reproductive healthcare and increase the usage of family planning methods in Punjab to 60% by 2030.”
He further explained that addressing excessive population growth rates is critical for Pakistan’s development, as it impedes progress, limits human capital accumulation, and contributes to ongoing poverty.
The program will build upon successful innovations that have been piloted in various districts of Punjab.
These innovations include clinical franchising, voucher schemes, and family planning counseling through community leaders, which have shown positive improvements in family planning outcomes.
By leveraging a network of lady health workers, family welfare workers, and community health workers connected to health facilities, family health clinics, and family welfare centers, the program aims to reach areas and communities with limited or no access to family planning services.
The program will scale up existing strategies such as the voucher incentive scheme, social marketing, engagement of male and community leaders, and youth platforms to increase the utilization of family planning services.
It will also focus on enhancing the interpersonal communication skills of family planning service providers.
Manav Bhattarai, the team leader for the program, highlighted the importance of family planning, stating, “Family planning enables couples to make informed choices about the number of children they want to have and when they want to have them. Enabling individuals to plan their families helps prevent unplanned or unintended pregnancies, ultimately leading to a decrease in overall fertility rates.”
The program will be implemented across all districts through the service delivery networks of the Population Welfare Department and the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, which are the two project-implementing agencies.
The program adopts the Programme-for-Results financing instrument, which links the disbursement of funds directly to the achievement of specific program results. This approach ensures accountability and focuses on tangible outcomes.
