‘Prioritise population growth to achieve goals’

The government is committed to taking all stakeholders on board including religious leaders, media and the young people to achieve sustainable population growth, said Senator Dr Zarqa Suhrawardi Taimur, Member Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination.

She was speaking at a meeting organised by the Population Council to mark World Population Day with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the other day.

Every year, July 11 marks the commemoration of World Population Day. This year’s theme of World Population Day is “Rights and choices are the answer: Whether baby boom or bust, the solution to shifting fertility rates lies in prioritizing the reproductive health and rights of all people.”

Read President stresses birth spacing amid rising population

Senator Walid Iqbal said that the population issue is now being given due consideration and there was a cross-party consensus on dealing with it.

“Seven million married couples in Pakistan want to space their families but cannot do so due to lack of access to family planning services. Right to family planning is essential part of right to human dignity.”

Population Council Senior Director Programmes Dr Ali Mir highlighted the importance of prioritising reproductive health and rights of people in Pakistan. “Provision of reproductive health and family planning services is essential especially during pandemics.