Lahore: A seminar on Social and Behavior Change Communication Strategy and Survey of Punjab was organized on Thursday at a local hotel in Lahore in collaboration with the Population Welfare Department Punjab and TCI Green Star. The chief guest of the seminar was coordinator to Chief Minister for Population welfare Saira Afzal Tarar. Director General Saman Rai was also present on the occasion.

While addressing the seminar Coordinator to Chief Minister for Population Saira Afzal Tarar said that the objectives of this seminar are to strengthen the knowledge of stakeholders about the role of SBCC in achieving family planning objectives, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the SBCC strategy. The MICS survey results and the SBCC strategy have been kept in mind before the relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment in family planning communication. Analyzing the MICS survey results to set goals and priorities in family planning is the need of the hour. SBCC aims to change social norms and behaviors by involving community leaders, religious leaders, and civil society organizations.

Effective SBCC can increase demand for and uptake of services, improve long-term maintenance of behaviors, and improve health outcomes. The seminar emphasized appropriate messaging, two- way communication, and social mobilization to achieve sustainable behavior change. The regional strategy for SBCC focused on girls and women as well as voters, including religious, traditional, and community leaders. It outlines the five stages of C-Planning to support SBCC efforts and provides an overview of the SBCC framework and guiding principles. By leveraging SBCC, we can promote positive social change and improve health outcomes in Punjab. In this regard, we need to engage community leaders and civil society organizations to promote social change by developing appropriate messaging messages informed by in-depth knowledge of the target audience and encouraging feedback and interaction with the target audience through two-way communication.

Earlier, the welcome address to the seminar was delivered by Director General Saman Rai. In his address, he said that the seminar aims to remove social norms, misconceptions, and barriers that hinder the adoption of family planning methods. Recognizing the critical need for a unified Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategy, the event will help bring together representatives from the public and private sectors, academic institutions, NGOs, religious leaders, healthcare providers, and the media.

The seminar will help stakeholders explore the core objectives of the strategy, particularly to reduce birth rates and increase contraceptive use, address demographic concerns, improve public health, and support sustainable development in Punjab. It will serve as a platform to share and coordinate SBCC communication approaches, focusing on behavior change at the individual, community, and policy levels. Stakeholders will gain valuable insights and tools for advocating for responsible family planning, especially in communities where awareness and access to services are limited.