Provincial Minister for Finance Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said that family planning is closely related to human development and economic growth. She said that Punjab is the most populated province of Pakistan where family planning is an effective, viable and affordable mechanism for providing best facilities of health and education. That is why, Punjab government since 2012, in order to fulfill its population welfare responsibilities devolved to the provinces as a result of 18th amendment in constitution of Pakistan, has increased its spending on family planning seven folds to 8.6 million dollars. She said that Punjab Population Innovation Fund has been established with an allocation of $4.3 million to award grants supporting innovative, locally responsive, scalable and sustainable family planning and reproductive health initiatives. She said that the services of 45,000 community outreach workers of primary healthcare have been regularized throughout the country. Mobile Service Units are being used to reach the more remote areas of the province, she added. However, she said that more is required to meet the unfulfilled needs of five million families in Punjab.
She expressed these views while addressing an international conference in London on World Population Day under the aegis of DIFD, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA). The Minister said that increasing population is not problem only of Pakistan but the entire world which has to be resolved collectively. She stressed upon the need of ensuring cross sectoral synergies between population welfare, health, education, planning and development especially involving the private sector. The Minister informed the participants that Punjab is active to achieve FP2020 and SDGs and introducing different programmes for poverty alleviation and autonomy of women along with family planning in its far flung areas which include projects of provision of free education, technical training and jobs. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha congratulated all the three institutions on holding the conference and thanked to provide the opportunity of consultation through uniting different countries having common problems.
