Press Releases 2008
USAID Seminar Helps Expand Family Planning Choices
01/22/2008
Islamabad - The Health Office Director for USAID/Pakistan, Mary Skarie reiterated here today the “USAID’s commitment to help improve the health and well being of the people of Pakistan.”
“Healthy mothers and children are a key component for a more prosperous Pakistan,” said USAID’s Mary Skarie, while addressing a seminar on expanding contraceptive choices and child spacing methods for Pakistani families – especially mothers and children.
The seminar was jointly organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Population Welfare.
“Expanding choices in birth spacing and increasing the availability and variety of contraceptive methods will ensure healthier mothers, babies, families and lives,” said Mary Skarie.
USAID’s new $60 million family planning and reproductive health program, Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH), focuses on incorporating family planning into health programs and services. The program will increase the accessibility and usage of contraceptives and birth spacing, which can help reduce Pakistan’s high levels of maternal and infant mortality.
FALAH is being implemented in partnership with the Government of Pakistan in 20 districts across all four provinces of Pakistan. These include: Gwadar, Jaffarabad, Kech/Turbat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, and Zhob in Balochistan; Battagram, Buner, Charsadda, Dir Upper, Lakki Marwat, and Swat in NWFP; DG Khan and Jhelum in Punjab; and Dadu, Ghotki, Larkana, Sanghar, Sukkur, and Thatta in Sindh.
Support for this project is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance and to assist with earthquake reconstruction.