THE fertility rate of 2.3 children per woman that was reported in 2011 is still hanging up without further decline through 2014 showing no progress in family planning in the country. Earlier from 1970 when family planning was introduced in the country, the initial success was quite impressive from 6.94 children per woman in 1971 and but from 2010 onward, the success rate remains stagnant when the family planning activities are also showing a visible setback. According to a report in news media on Thursday the dismal state of family planning services has a negative impact containing the population when unexpected fertility, childbearing by adolescent mothers and even poor maternal health in the lower segment of the population are showing growing tendencies. The family planning coverage to married women stands at 20 percent in recent years from 38 percent in 1993-94. Poor programming, inefficient management and slow down in field level activities are some of the core reasons behind the recent declining trend. Experts believe lack of proper commitment and failure to put in place focused targeting are causing serious setback to the once much-covered programme to slow down the population growth. Meanwhile media focus has also reportedly decline to give coverage to family planning related contents in the press causing further deceleration in activities to keep the population growth at low level. . Only 20 percent married women in 2014 reported that family planning field workers visited them in the previous six months. Women are willing to take family planning measures but the service providers are not contacting them at the right time. So, experts underscore the importance of bringing focus on this activities and to partially shift the focus on the use of long-acting contraceptives to achieve expected results. Unmet need for family planning (FP) and a kind of aversion to properly run the activities is poising a big treat to jeopardize the country’s target to reduce the population growth and create skilled manpower to work for a fast growing national economy. What appears highly noticeable is that the family planning activities in the country have more become an area of pervasive corruption, employment of unskilled people and misuse of public money. The government agency mandated to run the family planning programmes is more rich now in terms of manpower with hundred of luxury motor vehicles. Officials are busy with seminars and overseas trips however neglecting to work seriously to deliver results. The lack of leadership and absence of proper vision are visibly responsible for it and there must be change to bring improvement in the system.
