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China calls for efforts to resolve reproductive health issues

* Pakistani delegates to present papers on family planning in Islam, women’s empowerment

BEIJING: China has called on Asia-Pacific countries to attach greater importance to population and family planning and put more funds into the reproductive health and family planning programmes.

Speaking at the 5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights on Sunday, National People’s Congress Standing Committee Vice-chairwoman Chen Zhili urged the Asia-Pacific countries to intensify the capability building of developing countries and take concrete actions to enhance cooperation in these areas.

Pakistani delegation: Syed Kamal Shah, chief executive officer of a family planning association ‘Rahnuma’, is leading an eight-member Pakistani delegation at the conference. He said he would read a paper on ‘Islam and Family Planning’ today (Monday), the second day of the conference. Rahnuma Advocacy Director Nabila Malick would read a paper on “Is Pakistani Woman Really Empowered”, while Dr Ghazala Khan would present a paper on “Social-Culture, Economic Consequences of Unsafe Abortion”.

Speaking on the occasion, United Nations Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said the Asia-Pacific region was exploring and developing new areas of reproductive health and there were infinite opportunities to cope with the challenges through cooperation. He said the international community had agreed on the point that reproductive health was part of human rights. The Asia-Pacific region boasts more than half of the world’s young people, aged between 15 and 24, said Zhao Baige, deputy director of China’s National Population and Family Planning Commission. app

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