World Population Day: Invest in girls today for a brighter tomorrow

Seminars, awareness walks held in several districts

MULTAN/FAISALABAD: Gender inequality, poor maternal health and gender-based abuse can be linked to poor awareness about family planning, Multan Health Executive District Officer Iftikhar said at a seminar organised to mark the World Population Day on Monday. The theme for the World Population Day, announced by the United Nations, this year is: investing in teenage girls.

Seminars were organised in several districts to raise awareness about the importance of securing the futures of girls and investing in their education and health.

The Population Welfare Department in Multan organised a seminar at an auditorium at Nishtar Hospital.

Speakers at the seminar discussed topics and issues regarding investment in education and health of girls and how that could guarantee a better future for them.

The seminar began at around 9am. The DCO presided over the seminar. The health executive district officer and heads of various departments and members of civil society attended the event.

The DCO stressed the need to raise awareness about the importance of having small families. “Most of our social and economic problems stem from the problem of having a huge population.”

He said it was unfortunate that issues of providing quality education and health were overshadowed by the problem of food insecurity and malnourishment of children.

EDO Iftikhar said there was a need to educate women about family planning. “Many couples tend to want sons and keep trying to have children till they produce a son.” He said it was more important to educate girls and to invest in their health and future. “This is the first step towards building an enlightened and a prosperous society.”

He said educated mothers could provide their children a better life in terms of health and education. “We need to understand that investment in girls will bear fruit for the entire society.”

Smaller families

The Faisalabad Population Welfare Department organised a seminar and a walk to mark the World Population Day and to raise awareness regarding the importance of having a small family.

DCO Salman Ghani was the chief guest and Population Welfare DO Farkhanda Almas, Physiologist Imtiaz Ahmad Dogar and Pir Siddiqur Rehman delivered lectures.

Ghani said in a world with limited resources, it was important to control population growth. “This is imperative if we want development and progress.”

A recent report issued by the United Nations placed Pakistan as the sixth most populous country in the world. The DCO said a population boom in Pakistan had stretched available resources too thin. “We need to follow a population control programme if we want to ensure provision of education, health services, employment and social benefits to all citizens.” He said a small family was a guarantee of prosperity. “Everyone should strive to curb rampant population growth.”

Other speakers at the seminar stressed the need to invest in the health and education of girls to ensure the welfare of future generations.

Dr Farkhanda Almas spoke about the department’s performance and discussed the role clerics, teachers, homeopathic doctors, beauticians and the media could play to raise awareness in this regard.

DCO Salman Ghani later led an awareness walk from TMA Hall to Abdur Rasheed Ghazi Chowk.  The participants carried banners and placards with slogans regarding the importance of having small family.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2016.