Pakistan's Administrative Approach for a Family Planning Program

Abstract

This paper deals with the organization and administration of the Pakistani family planning pattern. The need for control of population growth in Pakistan is urgent. The urgency of the problem recognized in the second 5-year plan implemented in 1960-1965 forced the Government of Pakistan to establish a family planning program. The program was entrusted to the National Family Planning Council an autonomous agency with a full-time commissioner of family planning. The health minister is chairman of the Council and the commissioner is its secretary. The commissioner is also joint secretary (the second highest rank in the civilian administration) to the Government of Pakistan in the new division of family planning in the Ministry of Health Labour and Social Welfare. The National Family Planning Council is responsible for policy and implementation of the family planning scheme including coordination assessment and evaluation of activities research foreign aid and consultation. The National Council has an evaluation unit for each province with a technical staff to assess the progress and success of the program. Each unit has an administrator medical officer health educator statistician interviewers and clerical staff . Performance is measured in terms of quantity such as number of perso nnel on the job IUD insertions and amount of conventional contraceptives sold. The progress of the program is also followed through a continuous national-sample survey on knowledge attitude and practice of family planning. Fertility pattern studies reveal long-term use of various methods. The aim for the third 5-year plan 1966-1970 is to reduce the crude birthrate by 20% from 50 to 40 per 1000. Goals were set for each district based on the number of fertile females in the population available help and local conditions. The benefits of an independent government agency are chiefly in expediting the start of a national family planning program. A plan was formulated a budget prepared and personnel recruited in about 3 months in Pakistan. Much government red tape such as salary scales civil service lists and multiple approvals was circumvented. (AUTHORS MODIFIED)