Articles about Pakistan

  From the WISH 2 Team Lead Today, on World Contraception Day, we reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring that contraception is recognized and realized as a right, a responsibility, and a reality for all. Since its launch in 2007, World Contraception Day has been commemorated every year on 26 September, making 2025 the 19th annual global observance of this important campaign to raise awareness and advance SRHR.  The day reminds us of the power of choice and the transformative impact of SRHR on individuals, families, and communities. Access to safe, voluntary, and high-quality contraception is not only a health imperative, but also a pathway to dignity, equity, and opportunity. Under the WISH 1 (WISH2Action) project, 3.6 million additional family planning users were reached, an estimated 22 million maternal deaths, 4.3 million unsafe abortions, 13.2 million unintended pregnancies, and 19.2 million disability-adjusted life years were averted, a powerful demonstration of the lifesaving impact of sustained investment in SRHR. Building on this momentum, WISH 2 East and Southern Africa, set targets to reach 4.2 million family planning users, with the intention of preventing 3.2 million unintended pregnancies, 1 million unsafe abortions, and 5,600 maternal deaths across seven countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Since the start of the project, WISH 2 has reached 169,590 annualised clients as at the end of June 2025. Through this project, we remain committed to expanding access to sexual and reproductive health services across Eastern and Southern Africa, with a particular focus on fragile and humanitarian settings where women, adolescents, and marginalised groups face the greatest barriers. By strengthening service delivery, advancing social and behaviour change, advocating for enabling policies, and generating evidence for learning, WISH 2 is ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Central to this effort is strong partnership with governments, whose leadership and stewardship are essential for sustaining progress. WISH 2 works hand in hand with national and local authorities to complement their strategies and contribute to country-led priorities for universal access to contraception and broader SRHR. Yet, these gains are under threat. Global funding for SRHR is declining, undermining women’s rights, equity, and agency, and putting millions at risk of preventable harm. As we mark this 19th World Contraception Day, we call on governments, donors, and partners to renew their commitment to SRHR. Together, we can ensure that contraception remains accessible, affordable, and inclusive, empowering every individual to make informed choices about their bodies and futures. On this day, we celebrate the dedication of our partners, country teams including Member Associations, stakeholders who support the cause and frontline providers who work tirelessly to make contraceptive services more inclusive, resilient, and rights based. Together, we are creating a future where every individual, regardless of circumstance, can make informed choices about their reproductive health. Let us continue to learn, innovate, and act so that contraception is recognized not only as a method of family planning, but as a fundamental right for all. Contraception is not just health care, it is a right, a responsibility, and a reality we must protect and advance. Happy World Contraception Day!    

  About EmpowHER: EmpowHER (Ensuring Inclusive SRHR Delivery for Women, Girls and Marginalised Communities) is a six-year initiative with three key priority areas: Increasing access to quality, person-centred abortion care. Empowering young people to act on their sexual and reproductive rights by expanding access to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). This is delivered through our CSE Centres of Excellence in Ghana, Togo and Colombia.  Pushing back against the anti-rights agenda through coalition and movement-building, as well as advocacy work with our Member Associations. This restricted-funded project will support IPPF’s Strategy 2028 and donor commitments to advance the health and rights of women and girls in all their diversity around the world, ensuring that they can decide what to do with their bodies, their lives, and their futures. Donor: Global Affairs Canada Implementing MAs: Bénin (Association Béninoise pour la Promotion de la Famille) Burkina Faso (ABBEF), Colombia (Profamilia), Ecuador (CEMOPLAF), Ghana (PPAG), Guinea-Bissau (AGUIBEF), Kenya (RHN), Mauritania, (AMPF) Pakistan (FPAP), Sudan (SFPA), Togo (ATBEF), Uganda (RHU), and Zambia (PPAZ).  Duration: 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2030 (6 years) Total Budget: CAD $48,000,000 

The SPRINT Initiative provides one of the most important aspects of humanitarian assistance that is often forgotten when disaster and conflicts strike: access to essential life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. We build capacity of humanitarian workers to deliver essential life-saving sexual and reproductive health services in crisis and post-crisis situations through the delivery of the Minimum Initial Service Package (SRH) for reproductive health in emergencies.   Through funding from the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) our SPRINT Initiative has brought sexual and reproductive health to the humanitarian agenda, increased capacity and responded to a number of humanitarian emergencies. Australia has funded the SPRINT initiative since 2007 and has supported reaching 1,138,175 people to date and continues to respond to ongoing emergencies.   In each priority country, we work with an IPPF Member Association to coordinate and implement SPRINT activities. Through these partnerships, SPRINT helps strengthen the enabling environment, improve national capacity and provide lifesaving services during times of crisis.   You can read more about the SPRINT Initiative and IPPF Humanitarian’s Programme here.   Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)      Australia's location in the Indo-Pacific provides us with a unique perspective on humanitarian action. Australia is committed to helping partner governments manage crisis response themselves. This is done through building the capacity of the national government and civil society to be able to respond to disaster. DFAT also works with experienced international partners to prepare for and respond to disasters, including other donors, United Nations agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-government organisations.