Home
Issues
Aim & Scope
Open Access
Editorial Board
Indexing
Supporting Midwifery Associations
Contact us
Manuscript Types
Manuscript Formatting
How to submit
Special publications and Reprints
Authorship & COI
Principles of Transparency Checklist
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Lessons from translating task shifting policy on PAC and FP services into action: Opportunities and challenges in primary and secondary health facilities in Pakistan
1
Ipas, INGO, Islamabad, Pakistan
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A507
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
This abstract shares lessons from implementing Pakistan’s task-shifting policy by enabling midwives to provide postabortion care (PAC) and family planning (FP). It focuses on the role midwives play in expanding access to essential care, the opportunities and challenges they face.
DISCUSSION:
Pakistan’s maternal mortality ratio remains high at 186 deaths per 100,000 live births with unsafe abortion as one of the key contributors (11%). Despite over 27,000 registered midwives, their role in providing PAC and FP services remains limited, particularly in secondary-level health facilities. Task-shifting allows trained midwives to offer these services in areas where doctors are unavailable or overburdened, expand access to care and minimize delays. Since 2018 to 2025, Ipas conducted women-centered PAC trainings for midwives including values clarification for action and transformation to overcome provider bias, on-site mentoring and supported them with seed supplies. Despite the government policy allowing midwives to provide PAC services (including medical abortion and MVA), they continue to face barriers in offering these services. In secondary care hospitals, they often face resistance from doctors who do not allow them to perform these duties despite having the mandate from the government standards and guidelines for safe uterine evacuation. This requires continuous advocacy to change perceptions of midwives’ professional capabilities, strengthening pre-service and in-service training.
EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Ipas Pakistan trained 370 midwives since 2018 who helped to provide 49% of the total PAC and PAFP services delivered to 42,553 clients, demonstrating their effectiveness in safe uterine evacuation (including MA and MVA) and contraceptive services
KEY MESSAGE:
In-service training, supervision, opportunity to practice and trust in their abilities are vital to empower midwives to lead and contribute in improving PAC and FP services to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity associated with unsafe abortions. Poster session 1 (Group A)
This abstract shares lessons from implementing Pakistan’s task-shifting policy by enabling midwives to provide postabortion care (PAC) and family planning (FP). It focuses on the role midwives play in expanding access to essential care, the opportunities and challenges they face.
DISCUSSION:
Pakistan’s maternal mortality ratio remains high at 186 deaths per 100,000 live births with unsafe abortion as one of the key contributors (11%). Despite over 27,000 registered midwives, their role in providing PAC and FP services remains limited, particularly in secondary-level health facilities. Task-shifting allows trained midwives to offer these services in areas where doctors are unavailable or overburdened, expand access to care and minimize delays. Since 2018 to 2025, Ipas conducted women-centered PAC trainings for midwives including values clarification for action and transformation to overcome provider bias, on-site mentoring and supported them with seed supplies. Despite the government policy allowing midwives to provide PAC services (including medical abortion and MVA), they continue to face barriers in offering these services. In secondary care hospitals, they often face resistance from doctors who do not allow them to perform these duties despite having the mandate from the government standards and guidelines for safe uterine evacuation. This requires continuous advocacy to change perceptions of midwives’ professional capabilities, strengthening pre-service and in-service training.
EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Ipas Pakistan trained 370 midwives since 2018 who helped to provide 49% of the total PAC and PAFP services delivered to 42,553 clients, demonstrating their effectiveness in safe uterine evacuation (including MA and MVA) and contraceptive services
KEY MESSAGE:
In-service training, supervision, opportunity to practice and trust in their abilities are vital to empower midwives to lead and contribute in improving PAC and FP services to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity associated with unsafe abortions. Poster session 1 (Group A)
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
