The Population Welfare Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (PWD KP) and Delivering Accelerated Family Planning in Pakistan (DAFPAK), a leading organization committed to improving population health outcomes in Pakistan, officially handed over campaign assets from DAFPAK’s communication platform Khairkhwah as well as materials and toolkits created under the Public Sector Service Delivery (PSSD) component of DAFPAK.
Leaders in the health industry and important members of the government graced the occasion on April 25 in Peshawar. They emphasized the importance of government cooperation in the program’s upcoming phases and the need for a shared commitment to enhancing family planning and healthcare services in the area.
Speakers at the event included Ayesha Ihsan, the Director General of the Population Welfare Department, and Dr. Shaukat Ali, the Director General of Health Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who acknowledged the program’s contributions to improving family planning and healthcare services.
Recognized as the largest donor-funded family planning effort in Pakistan, the DAFPAK Programme is worth £90 million. Two of the program’s main aims are providing users with high-quality family planning services through public health facilities and promoting behavior modification through the multi-channel, multi-category brand KhairKhwah.
The Khairkhwah program seeks to remove obstacles to family planning use and increase demand for contemporary contraception. By reaching over 95 million people via television, more than 20 million through print and outdoor advertising, 36 million through social media, and 4.5 million directly through community outreach, the brand has been instrumental in breaking down barriers and normalizing family planning practices in Pakistan.
The PSSD component was centered on working with local and provincial governments to improve family planning infrastructure.
Over the duration of the program, the initiative prevented 120 maternal deaths, 76,344 unsafe abortions, and offered family planning services to 236,620 users in the intervention districts of Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, and Nowshera.
Ayesha Ihsan, Director General of the Population Welfare Department, stated: “This partnership demonstrates our common dedication to enhancing reproductive health. We anticipate working well together with KhairKhwah to achieve our objectives.”
Hassan Mehmood Khan, the Public Sector Service Delivery (PSSD) Project Team Leader for KP at DAFPAK, gave a thoughtful presentation during the event that covered the project’s main outcomes, accomplishments, and insights. It also highlighted the all-encompassing strategy used to address family planning needs in the area.
A momentous occasion was when M&C Saatchi, the DAFPAK lead for behavior change communication, finished the official transfer of campaign materials to the Population Welfare Department KP. These resources are designed to assist community-wide behavioral shifts and long-term health improvements.
