CHVs counseling women at facilities in Gujranwala, Pakistan.
Access to accurate information and services for family planning remains a challenge in many underserved communities of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan. Utilizing Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) is an evidence-based, globally recognized intervention for effectively improving family planning awareness and uptake.
TCI Pakistan advocated with provincial and district governments to expand family planning mobilization in areas not covered by Lady Health Workers (government outreach workers), using the CHV model. TCI supported districts to engage CHVs based on their identified needs.
Under this initiative, 160 CHVs in Punjab and 210 in Sindh were identified, engaged, and attached to health facilities based on need as determined by the Health and Population Departments. Their role was to generate awareness, counsel families, and refer clients – particularly for long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods – thereby contributing to an increase in family planning users.
TCI’s focused approach to capacity building of these CHVs proved to be immensely impactful. Trainings focused on effective communication and counseling skills, myth-busting around family planning, and detailed knowledge of available family planning methods. Equipped with these skills, the volunteers became trusted voices within their communities, bridging the gap between families and health facilities. In Punjab, the initiative was implemented for six months as part of TCI’s support to the government. While the intervention period was limited, its impact proved lasting.
The CHVs visited 252,514 households – an average of 263 households per month – delivering maternal health and family planning messages to 229,048 women. They conducted one-on-one and group meetings, mobilizing women to access family planning services and successfully bridging the gap between communities and public health facilities. CHVs referred more than 84,000 clients to their respective health facilities, of whom 76% availed themselves of family planning services. These numbers exceed client mobilization by outreach workers in the regular government health system. District health leadership in TCI-supported districts acknowledged and appreciated the performance of CHVs and the impact of this community-embedded model of family planning mobilization.
A CHV counseling session in Gujranwala, Pakistan.
A remarkable outcome emerged in Gujranwala, where the Health and Population Department recognized the value and dedication of these trained volunteers. Even after the TCI-supported intervention ended, the department decided to retain four CHVs under the Annual Development Program (ADP) scheme titled “Engagement of Social Opinion Influencers for Family Planning Demand Generation.” Today, these four CHVs continue their work in Sarfaraz Colony, Rehman Colony, Francisabad, and Noshera Sansi in Gujranwala. With competitive salaries and performance-based incentives, they are now formally contributing to government-led efforts to increase awareness and demand for family planning services in their communities.
This transition from intervention-based volunteers to government-employed social influencers marks a powerful outcome. For the CHVs, the opportunity represents more than employment – it is recognition of their dedication and the trust they have earned within their communities. For the government, it ensures continuity of grassroots-level engagement with families who need reliable information and services the most. Most importantly, it reflects how TCI’s investment in people can outlive the life of a project, enabling local systems to adopt and sustain successful approaches. By empowering community members with knowledge, skills, and purpose, the initiative ensured that the mission of improving family planning awareness and access continues even after the project’s conclusion. In Gujranwala, four community volunteers now stand as living proof that when talent is nurtured and opportunities align, meaningful change does not end with a project – it grows into a sustainable movement.
