Reproductive Health Rights Essential For Basic Human Rights: Shams Ur Rehman

District Population Welfare Officer Abbottabad Shams ur Rehman Wednesday said that reproductive health rights are an essential part of basic human rights and have been officially recognized and implemented through the Act by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly for the first time in 2020

ABBOTTABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jun, 2023 ) :District Population Welfare Officer Abbottabad Shams ur Rehman Wednesday said that reproductive health rights are an essential part of basic human rights and have been officially recognized and implemented through the Act by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly for the first time in 2020.

He expressed these views while addressing a day-long awareness seminar about the Reproductive Health Act of 2020.

The seminar was attended by District Health Officer Faisal Khanzada, Dr. Shahzad, Deputy Demographer of Population Welfare, Sadra Malik, and other officials from the Department. The seminar began with a presentation on population demographics by Deputy Demographer Sadra Malik, highlighting the growing population and its consequences.

District Officer Shamsur Rahman emphasized that the Act guarantees reproductive health for all citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and focuses significantly on the fundamental human rights of women.

He stated that reproductive health encompasses the overall well-being and physical and mental health of all bodily organs that contribute to the reproductive capabilities of women.

The seminar also introduced the facilities provided by the Population Welfare Department, such as family planning centers, private clinics, and NGOs, which offer various reproductive health services and facilities to almost every urban and rural area.

Discussing human rights, District Officer Shamsur Rahman stated that the RH Act empowers married couples to make decisions about the number of children without any societal or familial pressure.

If any couple is subjected to continuous familial pressure regarding reproductive decisions, they can seek legal assistance and protection under the Act, and the government will ensure their reproductive health. He emphasized that women will have an equal share in obtaining these rights as men.

Recognizing the role of media, he stated that media plays a vital role in any society, and under this Act, the Department of Population Welfare, both public and private reproductive health centers, and all its subsidiary branches will be obligated to disseminate accurate information about family planning and reproductive health to the public throughvarious communication channels, and they will continue to provide information in a timely manner so that the generalpublic can benefit from it, adding the district population officer said.