Dr. Syed Azizur Rab

Dr. Syed Azizur Rab

Chief Executive Officer

Aziz_Rab

UN studies conducted in more than forty developing countries show that the birth rate falls as women gain equality. At Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM), we are focused on ensuring this equality through the provision of an enabling environment by increasing awareness among women & families in Pakistan. We have ample evidence that informed family planning decision making, improved maternal & child health are some of the key drivers for economic prosperity in the basic functional unit of any society: a family. We are passionate about our work. This is reflected in the impact we have made over the last 32 years by focusing on the basics for community behavioral change: Reach, Frequency and Impact in reaching out to the families in Pakistan for a sustained paradigm shift. We are recognized for our ability to innovatively modify our strategies for reaching out to the deeper rural population, bulging peri-urban slums and the rapidly enlarging youth segments, of course, with demonstrated sustainable models of cost efficiencies (greater Value for Money / VFM) over these years. Pakistan, being the 5th most populous country in the world, has surmounted challenges for its resources as it endeavors to transform its younger population into human capital. It’s long been accepted as fact that the availability of family planning (FP) services saves lives. With the current growth rate,

Pakistan’s population will likely to exceed 340 million by 2050. The high growth rate is in part a result of a high unmet needs for family planning products and services, low modern contraceptive prevalence rate and the gaps where the family planning market has failed to reach the women of reproductive age.
Greenstar Social Marketing has been able to play a significant role in bridging the market failure gaps & shouldering the Government of Pakistan’s commitment at the Family Planning Summit in London. At the summit, Pakistan committed to increasing its national contraceptive prevalence rate to 55% by 2020. We aspire to facilitate people in Pakistan to lead healthier lives and plan families they desire by marketing affordable products and services. Our social marketing and social franchising strategies are constantly being re-engineered with our Total Market Approach (TMA). This year, Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM) celebrates 32 years of creating and providing quality family planning commodities and services across Pakistan. Today, GSM’s Sabzsitara & `Poocho Helpline` are synonymously associated with reliable family planning information, products and services.
However, our work is far from over as long as there remains an unmet need for family planning. Our equity is the trust of women, families, our donors and collaborators especially PSI (Population Services International), a non-profit global health organization based in Washington, D.C. operating in 60 countries worldwide. These associations continue to enrich us to become a learning organization with evidence based decision making & execution systems. Since assuming the leadership of GSM, I have made it my duty to ensure that my team is passionately engaged not to fail `Saira`, a globally recognized metaphor for all women of reproductive age with unmet needs for the enabling environment, access, availability & affordability of products & services.
Our eyes are locked onto the constantly changing demography, affordability, psychographics and behavioral variables of economic prosperity in Pakistan & we are realigning our strategies accordingly. We shall march ahead with firm believe that the availability of family planning services saves lives. Where women have access to these family planning services, children and families are healthier, and society at large benefits.

Dr. S. A. Rab
Chief Executive Officer,
Greenstar Social Marketing Pakistan (G) Limited