Scholars Endorse Birth Spacing to Protect Mothers’ Health
Religious scholars on Thursday endorsed birth spacing as a healthy and legitimate practice, urging couples to adopt a healthy gap between pregnancies to protect the health of mothers and children.
The endorsement came during an interactive consultation on “Islam and Family Planning”, organised by the Population Council and held at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
Participants signed a joint declaration at the end of the event, calling for collaboration between religious scholars, community leaders and health experts to strengthen the country’s family planning programme.
Speaking at the event, the Population Council’s Islamabad Programme Manager, Dr Ali Mohammad Mir, said Pakistan faced a pressing population challenge, with a mother dying every 37 minutes due to pregnancy-related complications.
That figure works out to about 39 mothers a day.
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said scholars across Pakistan would work to remove misconceptions and promote informed decision-making on family planning.
Why the endorsement matters
Religious guidance carries weight in Pakistan, and misconceptions about family planning have long held back its use. When scholars say birth spacing is legitimate under Islam, it answers doubts that health workers alone cannot settle.
The declaration signed at PIMS commits scholars, community leaders and health experts to work together, rather than in separate silos. That matters because family planning in Pakistan depends on trust: couples need to hear the same message from their religious leaders and their doctors.
What birth spacing means for mothers and children
Birth spacing means leaving a healthy gap between one pregnancy and the next. It gives a mother’s body time to recover, and it gives each child a better start. Short gaps between pregnancies raise the risk of complications for mothers and babies alike.
Dr Mir’s figure shows the scale of the risk. A mother dying every 37 minutes from pregnancy-related complications means the issue is not abstract. It is a daily toll, and it falls hardest on women who have little say over when they become pregnant again.
Mothers who raise children alone face many of the same pressures, and single mothers in Pakistan often carry them without support.
The population challenge behind the declaration
Pakistan is among the world’s most populous countries, and its population keeps growing fast. That growth puts pressure on schools, hospitals, jobs and housing, and it makes every health service harder to deliver.
The Population Council, which organised the consultation, works on population and health policy in Pakistan. Its message at PIMS was that family planning is part of the answer, and that religious scholars have a central role in carrying it to communities.
The country’s health burden keeps growing alongside its population. Diabetes alone is projected to affect 70 million Pakistanis by 2050, and Punjab offers free specialised treatment for patients who cannot pay.
What happens next
The declaration is a commitment, not a programme on its own. Its test will be whether scholars, community leaders and health experts follow through in towns and villages, and whether families hear clear, consistent guidance on spacing pregnancies.
The consultation was held at PIMS, which has also moved to a one-patient, one-ID digital system to manage its patient records.
Frequently asked questions
What did the scholars endorse?
Religious scholars endorsed birth spacing as a healthy and legitimate practice, urging couples to adopt a healthy gap between pregnancies to protect mothers and children.
Where was the consultation held?
The interactive consultation on “Islam and Family Planning” was organised by the Population Council and held at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Thursday.
What did the joint declaration call for?
Participants signed a declaration calling for collaboration between religious scholars, community leaders and health experts to strengthen Pakistan’s family planning programme.
How often does a mother die from pregnancy complications in Pakistan?
A mother dies every 37 minutes due to pregnancy-related complications, according to the Population Council’s Dr Ali Mohammad Mir. That works out to about 39 mothers a day.
Who is Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad?
He is the chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. He said scholars across Pakistan would work to remove misconceptions and promote informed decision-making on family planning.
