Karachi, August 13, 2025 – The Sindh government has launched an intensified vasectomy campaign to tackle the province’s rapid population growth, which increases by approximately 1.4 million people each year, equivalent to adding a new district annually. The initiative promotes male sterilisation and expands access to self-administered contraceptives for women, aiming to improve family planning awareness and services across Sindh.
Province-Wide Outreach and Awareness Programs
Hafeezullah Abbasi, Sindh Population Welfare Secretary, stated that the department, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, will conduct door-to-door surveys across all 1,600 union councils. The programme also targets around five million factory workers through workplace awareness sessions. Additionally, students in schools and universities will be educated on the social and economic impact of unchecked population growth.
“Since men often make major household decisions, involving them in these programmes is essential,” Abbasi emphasized. He added that 3,000 men in Sindh have already undergone vasectomy, many due to hereditary blood disorders such as thalassaemia or living with HIV/AIDS.
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Expanding Contraceptive Access Across Sindh
The government is providing a range of contraceptive services, including:
- Sterilisation procedures
- Birth-spacing devices
- Oral contraceptive pills
- Sayana Press, a self-injectable contraceptive providing a three-month pregnancy gap, especially for coastal and island communities
Abbasi highlighted that Sayana Press has been used approximately 1.3 million times since 2018. Faisal Meher, Director of Administration, confirmed that sterilisation kits, IUCDs, implants, injections, and pills are regularly supplied to major hospitals, the Health Department, and NGOs.
Family planning centres in 20 gynaecology wards across nine major hospitals provide IUCDs, which prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years, and implants, effective for three to five years.
Targets and Achievements
Sindh’s contraceptive prevalence rate was 31% in 2017-18. Authorities aim to increase it to 47% by 2025 and 57% by 2030. Male sterilisation cases in Karachi have risen sharply, from 23 cases to 2,500 in 2022. Furthermore, over 1,000 male mobilisers from the NGO HANDS are being trained to raise vasectomy awareness across the province.
Meher noted that early marriages in rural areas often result in women having six to eight children by age 30, highlighting the urgency of the programme.
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What is Vasectomy?
Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure that cuts or blocks the vas deferens, preventing sperm from being released during ejaculation. The procedure does not affect erection, libido, orgasm, or the ability to ejaculate, although semen will no longer contain sperm. Vasectomy is considered permanent, and men can usually resume sexual activity within one to two weeks following their doctor’s guidance.
Collaboration and Support
The Sindh vasectomy campaign is supported by Johns Hopkins University, SZABIST University, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative forms part of Sindh’s commitment to achieving Family Planning 2030 goals, promoting responsible reproductive health, and addressing the province’s population growth challenges effectively.
