| Summary: | Against the backdrop of impending population explosion and the need to adopt reliable control measures, this thesis investigates the effectiveness of contraceptive social marketing (CSM) interventions for population control in a given socioeconomic context. The main purpose is to identify lacunae in principles and practice of CSM with the view to generate evidence-based strategic guides to inform. future programmes. A case study method was adopted to assess the impact of various social marketing approaches in Pakistan. With a population of 174 million, Pakistan is the sixth most populated country and the third largest contributor to the world population after China and India, and known to have had serious setbacks in population control. The main research questions were: (i) What are the concepts and principles that guide CSM intervention methods? (ii) How effective are the various intervention methods in achieving the CSM programme objectives? (iii) What factors facilitate or restrict the sustainability of a programme and whether they can be influenced? The research used primary and secondary data from various sources collected through interviews, archival records and documents of relevant institutions. It used a combination of pattern matching and explanation building for embedded case analysis. The results were then combined at national level for making general conclusion. The study finds that CSM programmes when significantly designed and implemented with end users in mind have robust explanatory powers in relation to usage of health products as part of behaviour change. The interventions in Pakistan reflected two distinctive theoretical orientations: the non-governmental organisational model focussed on equity while manufacturer's model aimed to build sustainable delivery of contraceptive methods. Generally both approaches were effective in creating health impact but failed to contribute towards equity or sustainability objectives. The research also indicates excessive reliance by practitioners on impacts of the transactional oriented marketing mix as opposed to culturally sensitive behavioural. antecedentsB. ased on the results of this researcht he thesis provides a framework for an integrated evidence based approach for future interventions.
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