Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): (Parliament Times) Under the ambit of the CCI (Council of Common Interests) – approved recommendations for addressing the alarming population growth in Pakistan besides AJK and GB, the required Action Plan for conducting a mapping of all general registered private sector practitioners and hospitals to provide counseling, information and services in the area of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services, has been launched in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
This was disclosed by Secretary AJK Population Welfare Department of Azad Jammu Kashmir government Raja Muhammad Razaq while addressing the dissemination event of the study titled “Mapping of Public and Private Sector for Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services in Selected Districts of AJK and GB 2020”, launched by the AJK Population Welfare Department with the collaboration of UNFPA and the ministry of National Health Services (NHSR&C, Govt. of Pakistan) at the federal capital late Thursday, it was officially said by the AJK State Population Welfare Department in a media release issued here on Friday.
AJK President Sardar Masood Khan was the chief guest on this occasion. The event was also addressed by Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, AJK Minister for Population Welfare, TEVTA and IT; Shaikh Nasir Zamani, Gilgit-Baltistan Minister for Population Welfare; Ms Lina Mousa, Country Representative UNFPA-Pakistan; Dr Shahid Hanif, Director General Federal Ministry of National Health Services; Dr Muhammad Rafiq, representative of the KPK Health Department; and Dr Muhammad Asif Wazir, Technical Specialist UNFPA, Sanaullah, Secretary Population Welfare Department, GB, Asghar Ali, Secretary Population Welfare Department KPK.
“The M/o NHSR&C, Govt. of Pakistan, in collaboration with UNFPA (Pakistan) and the AJK Population Welfare Department conducted this pilot mapping study of selected districts i.e. Muzaffarabad, (AJK) and Distt. Gilgit, of Gilgit Baltistan in response to the important recommendations for delivery of quality family planning and health services in AJK and GB”, he underlined.
Raja Razaq continued that the objective of this study was to enumerate the type of services and geographic locations of all public-private health facilities and major pharmacies in both districts for provision of FP counseling, information, services, referrals, and ensure availability of contraceptive commodity.
“This mapping is an initial step for developing a model healthcare system through Universal Health Coverage in AJK and GB”, he said and added that the study was financially supported by the UNFPA.
He lauded the M/o NHSR&C, Govt. of Pakistan and the UNFPA for the facilitation and providing technical and financial support for undertaking this important milestone of the FP programs.
Razaq expressed the hope that this initiative would lead to universal access to family planning in AJK & GB by ultimately contributing due responsibility for the Pakistan’s wellbeing of Pakistan, he added.
Applauding the generous contributionsand key role of UNFPA in Population welfare and over Development Sector in Pakistan, Razaq underlined that the august moot was also the part of UNFPA’s marvelous contribution and support to the population welfare and health sectors in Pakistan including AJK and GB.
Earlier, in his address of welcome, the AJK Population Welfare Dept. Secretary Raja Razaq, on behalf of the UNFPA, thanked the President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Masood and other dignitaries from KPK, GB, AJK and the ministry of health from the govt. of Pakistan for gracing the occasion.