Objectives:
1. To reduce the population growth rate from 2.1% to 1.5% by 2010.
2. To increase the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) from 24% to 50% by 2010.
3. To reduce the total fertility rate (TFR) from 4.8 to 3.5 by 2010.
4. To improve maternal and child health by reducing maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 300 to 150
per 100,000 live births and infant mortality rate (IMR) from 80 to 40 per 1,000 live births by 2010.
5. To increase the female literacy rate from 24% to 50% by 2010.
6. To promote population education and awareness among the general public, particularly among youth
and women.
Implementation Strategies:
1. Family Planning Services:
Expand family planning services to rural and underserved areas.
Increase the availability and accessibility of contraceptives.
Improve the quality of family planning services.
2. Maternal and Child Health:
Strengthen maternal and child health services, including prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
Improve the availability and accessibility of emergency obstetric care.
Increase the number of skilled birth attendants.
3. Education and Awareness:
Integrate population education into school curricula.
Launch mass media campaigns to promote population awareness and family planning.
Organize community-based activities to promote population education and family planning.
4. Women's Empowerment:
Promote women's education and economic empowerment.
Increase women's participation in decision-making processes.
Improve women's access to healthcare and family planning services.
5. Service Delivery:
Strengthen the public healthcare system, including hospitals, clinics, and health centers.
Improve the quality of healthcare services.
Increase the number of healthcare providers, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Success of the Policy:
1. Increased Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR): The policy led to an increase in the CPR from 24% in
1998 to 35% in 2010. This was achieved through the expansion of family planning services, particularly in
rural and underserved areas.
2. Reduced Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The TFR declined from 4.8 in 1998 to 3.5 in 2010, indicating a
reduction in the average number of children per woman.
3. Improved Maternal and Child Health: The policy led to improvements in maternal and child health,
with a decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 300 to 170 per 100,000 live births and infant
mortality rate (IMR) from 80 to 50 per 1,000 live births between 1998 and 2010.
4. Increased Female Literacy Rate: The policy contributed to an increase in the female literacy rate from
24% in 1998 to 40% in 2010, which is a critical factor in reducing population growth.
Challenges:
1. Limited Access to Family Planning Services: Despite the expansion of family planning services, many
rural and underserved areas continued to lack access to these services, particularly in the early years of
the policy.
2. Social and Cultural Barriers: The policy faced significant social and cultural barriers, including
resistance to family planning and contraceptive use, particularly in conservative and rural areas.
3. Inadequate Institutional Capacity: The policy implementation was hindered by inadequate
institutional capacity, including a lack of trained healthcare providers, inadequate infrastructure, and
insufficient funding.
4. Corruption and Inefficiency: Corruption and inefficiency within the healthcare system and other
implementing agencies hindered the effective implementation of the policy.
5. Lack of Community Participation: The policy implementation was often top-down, with limited
community participation and engagement, which reduced its effectiveness and sustainability.
Recommendations:
1. Strengthen Institutional Capacity: Strengthen institutional capacity, including training healthcare
providers and strengthening healthcare infrastructure, to improve the delivery of family planning
services.
2. Increase Community Participation: Increase community participation and engagement in population
policy implementation to improve its effectiveness and sustainability.
3. Address Social and Cultural Barriers: Address social and cultural barriers, including through education
and awareness campaigns, to increase access to family planning services and promote contraceptive
use.
4. Ensure Sustainable Funding: Ensure sustainable funding, including through domestic resource
mobilization, to support the long-term implementation of population policies.
5. Improve Monitoring and Evaluation: Improve monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress,
identify challenges, and make adjustments to policy implementation.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the 1998 Population Policy of Pakistan had some successes, including an increase in the
contraceptive prevalence rate and a reduction in the total fertility rate. However, the policy faced
significant challenges, including limited access to family planning services, social and cultural barriers,
inadequate institutional capacity, corruption and inefficiency, lack of community participation, and
inadequate funding. To improve the effectiveness and sustainability of population policies, it is essential
to address these challenges and learn from the lessons of the past.
