Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and UNFPA Country Representative Dr. LuayShabaneh convened to advance the Youth Policy Action Plan. Their discussion covered crucial topics such as setting provincial targets for the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), fertility, and population growth. They also focused on incorporating Life Skill Based Education into the school curriculum.
The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Health Minister Dr. AzraFazalPechuho, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary to CM RaheemShaikh, Secretary Health IrfanBaloch, Secretary Population HadiBullo, and Secretary Social Protection Department Rafiq Mustafa. The UNFPA delegation included Ms. Renuka Swami, KhurramArslan, and other key members.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency and is implementing the 10th Country Programme 2023-2027 in Pakistan which will be guided by the national and provincial priorities and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027. UNFPA supports in critical initiatives in Sindh like the development of the Youth Policy Action Plan; support to implementing FP 2020 commitments; provincial target setting on Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), fertility and population growth and integrating Life Skill Based Education in the school curriculum.
In April 2022, the UNFPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sindh government to collaborate and partner in various areas. According to the agreement, the Sindh government will empower the Research and Training Wing to facilitate informed decision-making in the Planning and Development Department, disseminate the National Narrative on Population, implement the recommendations of the Council of Common Interest on Population and Family Planning, and support a multi-sectoral coordination platform for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response. This platform will serve as a mechanism for creating synergy and allocating resources across key sectors such as governance, health, police, justice, and social sectors of the Government of Sindh.
The CM said that he was transforming the Research & Training Wing (R&TW) of the Planning & Development Department into a preeminent Research and Capacity Building Institute. Defining the relationship between P&DD and R&TW. UNFPA has piloted an initiative of Civil Registration &Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Hyderabad (Latifabad, Qasimabad) and Matiari. The CM and the visiting UNFPA country chief also discussed the Activity Plan, Communication Strategy, and Draft TORs for the constitution of the Working Group were discussed and deliberated at P&DD. CM Murad Shah and Dr. LuayShabaneh have agreed to form a Working Group on CRVS under the Local Government. Comments and feedback from Health, PPHI, and the Local Government Department on the Activity Plan and Communication Strategy have been shared with UNFPA for inclusion in the final documents.
