Five selected initiatives, called “Five Best Bets”, were conceived as part of the support to the Task Forces in achieving the target for lowering population growth rate. The initiatives are based on evidence for what will work best in Pakistan in the light of experience in compatible contexts. The initiatives are proposed as part of the action on the Council of Common Interests decisions by the provincial and federal governments. This work was supported by Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation.
Best Bet 01
We need to spend more on family planning services to fulfill the unmet need. Its a win-win proposition: spending more on family planning will mean spending less on reproductive health services and better health for mothers and children. Pakistan must take up this opportunity if we are to achieve sustainable population growth levels.
Best Bet 02
The international evidence shows that vouchers can play a critical role in improving access of poor and marginalized women to family planning and reproductive health services, of which they are generally deprived. By recognizing their right to these services, the voucher schemes enable the women and their husbands to take important decisions regarding the size of their family and spacing of children.
Best Bet 03
The government cannot do it all alone, and every section of the society must play their role in bringing down population growth to sustainable levels_ This is the key message of the measures approved by the Council of Common Interests in promoting family planning This paper examines how the services of Family Physicians and for-profit private sector could be engaged towards this end.
Best Bet 04
After being entrusted many other tasks the Lady Health Workers do not accord the same priority to family planning services as they did in the initial period of the program_ Learning from some successful outreach programs in other countries a Community Health Workers' model is proposed that augments the role of LHW program in meeting the contraceptive needs of a fast-growing population.
Best Bet 05
Involving young men to play a proactive role and take decisions regarding family planning could be a game changer, freeing the family planning service providers from business-as-usual routines. Indeed, if the goal of achieving sustainable population growth is to be achieved, we should learn from such initiatives around the globe.