Leadership in family planning and reproductive health: a university based capacity building and networking initiative in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Pakistan's DHS 2006-07 showed gloomy indicators of reproductive health in the country especially of the women and children. Family planning [FP] and reproductive health [RH] programs date back to late 50's and yet failed to deliver the desired results. Among other weaknesses in the programs, it has been recorded that lack of effective management and good governance have resulted in either questionable quality of FP and RH services and low utilization of services. This dismal state of affairs has left the country with a high growth rate [1.9%], a large unmet need for contraception [33%] with a fertility rate of over 4 children /woman, an unacceptably high maternal mortality ratio [276/100,000], an under 5 mortality of 0.4 million a year, and an ironically strong urban bias of doctors [80%] and that also focusing on curative care. Lack of training and incentives for staff have resulted in a fragile health system and weak human resource management. For redressing this appalling situation in the country, and particularly in RH and Population sector, a new vision has to be thought out through strategic thinking of all the issues. A pilot training course comprising a whole range of pedagogy on 'Leadership in Family Planning and Reproductive Health' was launched and was successfully implemented in 2008 at the Aga Khan University, Karachi with the underlying objectives of capacity building of mid-top level managers, policy makers, advocacy specialist, academia, NGO and civil society representatives to work effectively and acquire leadership positions in family planning and population programs with deeper understanding of RH. This critical mass of trained leaders would work effectively with leadership skills using multi-sectoral approach; and will create and implement a strategic action plan to improve quality of and access to FP/RH services in their respective areas in the wake of achieving the millennium development goals by 2015.