Sindh Health Minister calls for tubal ligation after third C-section

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said women undergoing a third caesarean section (C-section) should be offered tubal ligation (TL) as part of family planning measures, citing concerns over rising maternal mortality associated with repeated surgical births.

She made the remarks while addressing the 4th International Family Planning Summit, titled “Youth, Family Planning and Digital Innovation,” jointly organized by Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ward 9-B, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

Dr Pechuho said the Sindh government is expanding maternal healthcare by converting old dispensaries into birthing stations, training community midwives to provide safe home-based delivery services, strengthening ambulance networks for emergency obstetric referrals, and improving the supply of medicines and essential medical equipment at primary healthcare facilities.

The minister said the increasing number of C-section deliveries has contributed to higher maternal mortality in Sindh, adding that the provincial government is working to address the issue and expects positive results soon.

She also stressed that women presenting for a third C-section should undergo tubal ligation to reduce future pregnancy-related risks.

Speaking at the summit, JSMU Vice Chancellor Prof Amjad Siraj Memon highlighted the importance of male participation in family planning, saying vasectomy is an effective population control measure. He noted that vasectomy procedures in Sindh increased from 24 cases in 2021 to more than 4,000 in 2025.

Prof Dr Nighat Shah, Chief Organizer of the summit, said Pakistan’s population is growing by nearly six million people annually, while the contraceptive prevalence rate stands at 34%, with 17.8% of family planning needs remaining unmet.

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Participants emphasized that maternal health and family planning must become national priorities, noting that one woman dies every 45 minutes in Pakistan due to pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications, underscoring the need for timely healthcare, safe deliveries, and improved access to reproductive health services.