KP Population Task Force Reviews Progress On Action Plan

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2021 ) :The third meeting of Provincial Population Task Force (PPTF) was held here with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by members of provincial cabinet Shahram Tarakai, Taimur Salim Jhagra, Akbar Ayub, Fazal Shakoor, Kamran Bangash, Ahmad Hussain Shah, Muhammad Zahoor, Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Administrative Secretaries of departments concerned and other member of the task force.

Besides, implementation status of the decisions taken in the last meeting of the PPF, progress made so far on the decisions of Federal Task Force and Provincial Action Plan were reviewed in details during the meeting.

While expressing the satisfaction over the progress on provincial action plan, the forum underlined the need to further improve it and decided to constitute a ministerial committee comprising provincial cabinet members which would come up with workable and solid proposals to implement the Action Plan in an effective way.

The committee members include Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra, Minister education Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister Local Government Akbar Ayub, Special Assistant for Population Welfare Ahmad Hussain Shah, Special Assistant for Information Kamran Bangash and Special Assistant for Religious Affairs Muhammad Zahoor.

Briefing the forum about the progress on the Provincial Action Plan, it was informed that in the light of the decision of Council of Common Interest regarding establishing National and Provincial Task Forces, Provincial Population Task Force was set up and an Implementation Committee as well as provincial task force secretariat was notified.

It was informed that in order to create balance between population and resources federal monitoring and evaluation framework was reviewed at provincial level adding that feed back on that framework had also been provided to federal government.

In order to ensure universal access to family planning and reproductive health services, all the public health facilities, BHUs, RHCs, THQs, DHQs and Tertiary Healthcare facilities were mandated to deliver family planning services as part of the essential services package.

Similarly, contraceptives have been made part of essential drug lists. NGOs and civil society organizations were working in close coordination with provincial health and population welfare departments to extend family planning services to under-served and un-served areas.

The meeting was also apprised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Reproductive Healthcare Rights Act 2020 has been enacted whereas Early Child Marriage Restraint Bill drafted and vetted by Law Department as well.

Similarly, Provincial Population Task Force has endorsed national narratives of Tawazun and adopted it as provincial narrative adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocacy and Communication Strategy had also been approved.

As a mass movement leading to a call of action involving political leaders, clerics and corporate sectors, efforts are underway in the province. 202 clerics have been trained as master trainers whereas 930 have been trained under step down training program in various districts while 700 clerics have been trained under UNFPA annual work plan. It was informed that behavioral change communication was a part of innovative scheme under ADP and Robust Communication Campaign has been launched through print and electronic media.

A non ADP Scheme titled "Integrated Project for Implementation of the CCI recommendations" to address high population growth rate had also been approved with a total cost of Rs. 91.483 Million. 18 public sector universities have included the topic of "Population Dynamics of Pakistan" in various courses and the same was under process in rest of the universities.

Besides, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy and provincial services academy have also been approached to include population modules in the training material.

The authorities told that the concerned federal forum has also been informed about the demographic targets of the province adding that currently population growth rate in the province was 2.8 percent and target has been set to reduce it to 1.8 percent by 2025 and 1.7 percent by 2030. In order to establish 200 Family Welfare Centers in the province, hiring of staff is in process. Estimated cost of the project is Rs. 858 million.

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to make these family welfare centers functional within the next one and half month.

He urged upon the authorities to ensure judicious utilization of resources under the national action plan.

He termed the role of clerics as of vital importance for creating awareness amongst the public regarding family planning, adding that all the sectors would have to play their respective role to this effect.