Exploring the Unmet Need for Family Planning in Pakistan

 Episode 14

Currently, one of the biggest challenges that Pakistan is facing is the ever-increasing population growth and lack of family planning. 40% of Pakistan’s area is underserved when it comes to family planning programmes and according to the latest population census, Pakistan’s current population amounts to 240 million people, which makes it the fifth most populous country in the world. Nazish Afraz and Amna Akhsheed discuss and unpack the importance of women’s agency to choose family size and make decisions based on their financial and physical resources. They identify the barriers and the gaps in family planning services, such as accessibility and information and their importance in combating the rising population in Pakistan.

Nazish Afraz is an economist who teaches at LUMS and does public policy research. She has over two decades of experience in economic consulting in public policy research on regulation, impact analysis, industrial development, and trade.

Amna Akhsheed is a General Manager and a Technical Lead at the Punjab Population Innovations Fund with over 17 years of experience in the field of family planning, including with international development organizations. She is an economics graduate from LUMS and a recipient of the Ashton Award from Prince Charles.