AYESHA, a 25-year-old mother of three, walks two kilometres each time she needs family planning or maternal health services. Her story is not unique; it is a daily reality for millions of Pakistani women. In a country of more than a quarter billion people, still growing at 2.1 per cent annually, access to basic reproductive health services remains a struggle. Pakistan’s total fertility rate stands at 3.5 births, far above the global average of 2.4 and one of the highest in South Asia. Sixteen per cent of married women still lack access to family planning, and the contraceptive prevalence rate has stalled at around 32pc.

Pakistan has achieved important gains, improving reproductive health services, and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) more systematically as a result of long-standing partnerships with global development actors; yet the landscape of international cooperation is shifting rapidly, putting these hard-won gains at risk.

The reduced footprint of USAID, a key partner of UNFPA and largest supporters, has left a major gap in funding, technical expertise, and innovation. UNFPA itself faces tightening global funding at a time when Pakistan’s needs are still expanding. Many traditional donors have already reduced their official development........

© Dawn