Megan Douthwaite|Patrick Ward
Increasing contraceptive use in rural Pakistan: an evaluation of the Lady Health Worker Programme
University of London|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|Oxford Policy Management
past efforts promote family planning pakistan disappointing 1990 91 2000 01 contraceptive use doubledthis rise coincided concerted effort part pakistani government increase access contraceptive services particularly rural areasthe lady health worker programme lhwp initiated ministry health early 1990s aimed integrating family planning doorstep provision primary health carethis paper presents findings first national evaluation programmedata analyzed random sample survey 4277 women living households served lhwp living control areaslogistic regression analysis performed determine effect programme uptake modern reversible contraceptive methods controlling independent variablesthe data provide strong evidence lhwp succeeded increasing modern contraceptive use among rural womenwomen served lady health workers significantly likely use modern reversible method women communities served programme 150 95 ci 104 216 p 0031 even controlling various household individual characteristicsthe model providing doorstep services communitybased female workers remain central achieving universal access safe family planning methods end decade longterm objective pakistans recent population policy adopted 2002