On March 15, the Population Council, in collaboration with the Information Service Academy (ISA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), hosted a Media Coalition Meeting to bolster the media’s engagement with Pakistan’s National Action Plan on population, as mandated by the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The event gathered senior journalists, communication experts, and public sector figures to discuss evidence-based reporting for better public understanding and accountability in addressing demographic issues.
Since its inception in 2018, the Media Coalition has grown from 31 to over 60 journalists from various media forms, including print, TV, radio, digital, and local languages, across Pakistan. The coalition has produced more than 2,000 stories focused on population, family planning, health, and the broader impacts of rapid population growth on development.
Dr Ali Mir, Senior Director at the Population Council, in the opening session of the meeting, stressed the significant role of journalism in national development discourse. He pointed out that factual reporting is essential for good governance and outcomes.
Adnan Akram Bajwa, Director of ISA, further supported this by highlighting the role of media in shaping public perception and institutional response through accurate and clear reporting.
During the meeting, Ikram ul Ahad, Manager of Communication at the Population Council, highlighted the severe reproductive health challenges in Pakistan, including high maternal mortality rates among impoverished rural women and the prevalence of unsafe abortions due to the lack of accessible contraception.
Zafar Sultan from PTV and Daniyal Umar from Samaa TV presented a review conducted by coalition members on the implementation of the CCI-endorsed National Action Plan across various provinces. Their findings revealed common issues such as disparities in health services, shortages of female health workers, and frequent disruptions in contraceptive supplies.
The participants emphasized the necessity for deeper media coverage of population-related challenges, particularly focusing on rural health inequities, high-risk pregnancies, and restricted access to reproductive health services. Such reporting is crucial for raising public awareness and ensuring that demographic concerns remain at the forefront of policy discussions.
