Reproductive health and family planning

Project description

Title: Reproductive, maternal and newborn health project (RMNHP)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Pakistan
Lead executing agency: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Health
Overall term: 2015 to 2016

Context

Pakistan's health indicators are considerably worse than those of other countries in the region with a comparable level of development. This is particularly true of maternal and child health. The average number of children born per woman in Pakistan is 3.8, and the maternal mortality rate is 276 per 100,000 live births. Of 1,000 live births, 74 babies and infants die before their first birthday. The high birth rate in Pakistan is partly due to the fact that men and women are not sufficiently well informed about methods of contraception. In addition, parents-to-be do not receive sufficient support on family planning, and women and their children do not have access to adequate medical care during pregnancy and birth and the postnatal period. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, little use is made of the few sexual and reproductive health and family planning services offered by the state health services.

Objective

The health care available to women of child-bearing age and to children and young people has improved. The citizens in the Haripur and Nowshera districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are more aware of sexual and reproductive health issues.

Approach

The project supports the health and planning departments in the provinces and districts and other partners at all levels of the health system in improving care and service quality in the field of reproductive health. The regional focus of the project is on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly on two districts in the province.

On the supply side, support is being provided for quality improvement processes and the extension of services, for example in the field of safe prenatal and postnatal maternal care. On the demand side, the population is being educated about family planning issues and the prenatal and postnatal maternal care available in the health centres. RMNHP advises the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on how to integrate and supplement existing programmes on sexual and reproductive health more effectively. At the same time, the project aims to raise awareness among the people about the significance of sexual and reproductive health and family planning.

Additional information