Information, education and communication needs in family planning: the case of pakistan

In spite of three decades of national family planning programmes, Pakistan's contraceptive prevalence rate was only 12 percent in 1991. Furthermore, the government family planning service delivery systems, primarily the family welfare center (FWC), cover less than 10 percent of the people in rural areas. Although there are cultural and religious constraints to social change, it can be argued effectively from recent surveys that there is a considerable need for family planning that has yet to be met. Certain barriers to, and options for, meeting this need are reviewed, particularly in terms of strengthening information, communication and education (IEC) at the community level.