Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has said women undergoing a third Caesarean section should be offered tubal ligation (TL) as part of efforts to reduce maternal mortality and improve family planning services.
Speaking at the Fourth International Family Planning Summit in Karachi, Pechuho said the growing number of C-section deliveries was contributing to higher maternal mortality in Sindh.
"The mortality rate in Sindh is increasing due to C-sections. We are working on it and the results will be visible very soon," she said.
She added that women presenting for a third Caesarean section should be counselled about undergoing tubal ligation as a permanent contraceptive option.
The summit, organised jointly by Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) under the theme "Youth, Family Planning and Digital Innovation", brought together health experts, researchers and policymakers to discuss maternal and child health challenges.
Dr Pechuho said the Sindh government was expanding maternity services by converting dispensaries into birthing stations and training community midwives to provide safe home-based maternal care.
She also said the province was strengthening ambulance services to ensure timely transfer of complicated maternity cases and improving the supply chain for medicines and medical equipment at primary healthcare facilities.
According to speakers at the summit, a woman dies every 45 minutes in Pakistan due to pregnancy-related complications, highlighting the urgent need to improve access to maternal healthcare and family planning.
JSMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Amjad Siraj Memon emphasised the importance of involving men in family planning, saying vasectomy was an effective population control measure.
He said vasectomy cases in Sindh had increased from 24 in 2021 to more than 4,000 in 2025, reflecting growing public awareness.
Chief organiser Prof Dr Nighat Shah said Pakistan's population was increasing by around six million people annually, while contraceptive use remained at only 34%, leaving the family planning needs of nearly 18% of the population unmet.
Participants called for coordinated national efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare, expand family planning services and ensure timely access to quality medical care.
