Spokesperson for Sindh Government Mr. Sukhdev Hemnani underscored the provincial government’s strong commitment to promoting family planning, reproductive health and women’s empowerment through a comprehensive, rights-based approach aligned with Pakistan’s international commitments under FP2030.
Hemnani noted that Pakistan is facing what experts call a “ticking population bomb,” with its population projected to cross 400 million by 2050 if current trends continue. He highlighted that recognizing the urgency of the issue, Sindh is playing a proactive and responsible role in addressing this challenge.
Highlighting Sindh’s progress, he shared that according to Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) data by National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS), Sindh’s contraceptive prevalence rate has increased from 29.5% in 2012-13 to 41.8% in 2024-25 – a historic achievement. Uptake of post-pregnancy family planning has also increased from 3% to over 30% in the same period.
Hemnani further noted that Sindh has launched Pakistan’s first province-wide male sterilization initiative, reaching industrial workers through awareness and counselling programmes. As a result, more than 3,000 men in Sindh have already undergone safe, voluntary vasectomy procedures, marking a significant cultural and behavioural milestone. Over 1,000 male mobilisers are actively working across 1,600 union councils of Sindh to raise awareness and ensure access to services.
Hemnani outlined that Sindh Government has also introduced an online family-planning app, developed in collaboration with World Bank. Currently in a six-month pilot phase, the app provides free and confidential counselling on contraceptive methods and reproductive health, helping couples connect with trained professionals, locate nearby family-planning centres and access services securely from their homes.
Spokesperson Hemnani emphasised that Sindh remains deeply committed to tackling the social causes of population growth, especially early and child marriage, which endanger girls’ health and futures. Early marriage often results in teenage pregnancies, higher maternal and infant health risks and lost education opportunities. To address this, Sindh took a pioneering step by enacting the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, setting the legal marriage age at 18 years for both girls and boys – a reform unmatched by any other province.
“By investing in women’s health, engaging men through workplace and community programmes, leveraging digital solutions, and enforcing the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Sindh is invested in building a healthy and stronger society. Our province is proud to turn Pakistan’s global commitments into concrete progress for its people,” underscored Hemnani.
He reiterated that all family-planning services in Sindh are voluntary, confidential and delivered with full respect for human dignity, adding that the Government will continue to strengthen partnerships with UN agencies, development partners and civil society to further expand access and quality.
“Sindh’s goal is not just to manage numbers, but to build healthier families and a stronger future,” the Spokesperson emphasized.