Exploring the Barriers in Pursuit of Family Planning Excellence in Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Pakistan stands as one of the world's most densely populated nations. The underutilization of family planning resources has led to not only a surge in population growth but also a notable rise in rates of infant and maternal mortality. To tackle these challenges, it's imperative to identify the barriers preventing access to family planning services. Objective: This objective of this systematic review to comprehensively detect the diverse array of barriers hindering the utilization of family planning methods in Pakistan. Methodology: This systematic review is conducted in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, 2019. The studies were identified from three electronic databases PubMed, Google scholar and PakMediNet. Search was confined to studies published from January, 2018 to March, 2023. Results: Out of 790 articles, 28 were included in the review which depicted that the barriers to family planning are rural residence, low socio-economic status, dominance of husband and mother-in-law, son preference, religious believes, lack of awareness and availability of family planning services. Among these barriers, the most prominent obstacle is the authority of husband and mother-in-law. Conclusions: To overcome these barriers, we need counselling and awareness campaigns. These efforts should highlight the benefits of family planning for maternal and child health. This will also help address the risk of overpopulation in Pakistan.