Sindh Rolls Out Vasectomy Campaign to Slow Massive Population Rise

The Sindh government has launched an intensified campaign to address the province’s rapid population growth, which increases by approximately 1.4 million people each year, the equivalent of adding a new district annually. The initiative focuses on promoting male sterilisation through vasectomy and expanding access to self-administered contraceptives for women.

Province-Wide Outreach and Education

Sindh Population Welfare Secretary Hafeezullah Abbasi said 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, while 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 noted. He said that 3,000 men in Sindh have already undergone vasectomy, many due to hereditary blood disorders such as thalassaemia or because they were living with HIV/AIDS.

Expanding Contraceptive Access

The government is providing contraceptive services, including sterilisation, birth-spacing devices, oral pills, and the Sayana Press, a self-injectable contraceptive offering a three-month pregnancy gap — particularly in coastal and island communities. Abbasi said Sayana Press has been used about 1.3 million times since 2018.

Director of Administration Faisal Meher 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 of nine major hospitals offer IUCDs, which prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years, and implants, effective for three to five years.

Targets and Progress

Sindh’s contraceptive prevalence rate stood at 31% in 2017-18. Authorities aim to increase this to 47% by 2025 and 57% by 2030. Male sterilisation cases in Karachi have risen sharply, from just 23 to 2,500 in 2022. More than 1,000 male mobilisers from the NGO HANDS are being trained to raise vasectomy awareness.

Early marriages in rural areas mean many women have six to eight children by the age of 30, Meher said, highlighting the urgency of the programme.

What is Vasectomy?

Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure that cuts or blocks the vas deferens, preventing sperm from being released during ejaculation. It does not affect erection, libido, orgasm, or the ability to ejaculate, although semen will no longer contain sperm. The procedure is considered permanent, and men can usually resume sexual activity within one to two weeks following their doctor’s advice.

Supported by Johns Hopkins University, SZABIST University, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the programme forms part of Sindh’s commitment to achieving its Family Planning 2030 goals.