Call for efforts to control population

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers have called for concerted efforts to control the rising population growth by taking into account issues related to family planning and reproductive health.

They were speaking at an event titled “A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all - harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all” to mark World Population Day.

The event was organised by the United Nations Population Fund Pakistan, the British High Commission, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and the Population Programme Wing, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner Christian Turner noted that Pakistan's population would double in the next 30 years, which will put a significant strain on the country's resources. He called for prompt steps to resolve the burgeoning population issue.

The British High Commissioner said that the business-as-usual approach needs to stop. “It is important to talk about family planning. The UK is one of the largest donors on family planning in Pakistan and has been supporting the country since 2012. Delivering Accelerated Family Planning in Pakistan (DAFPAK) is a £90 million programme that has so far reached 7 million family planning users mostly from marginalised communities.

The UK remains committed to supporting Pakistan,” he said.

Addressing the event via a video testimonial, President Dr Arif Alvi expressed concern over the constantly rising population growth which is eating up the inadequate resources available in Pakistan. He said that the government needs to utilise all options to sensitise the public regarding the negative implications of population growth not only on the health of the mother and her child but also on the economic and social aspects of life.

Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel remarked that Pakistan’s population was likely to double in the next 30 years. He stressed that all partners and stakeholders including civil society organisations and NGOs should come together and join hands with the government to address the growing population issue.

Population Programme Wing Director-General Dr Sabina Durrani commented that to uphold the fundamental rights of their children and family by maintaining a balance between their family size and resources, parents have the freedom to freely and responsibly determine how many and how far apart to space out their children.

“Population is a denominator to every challenge and issue facing Pakistan right now. We must dedicate adequate funding for accelerated family planning in Pakistan to reap the benefits of demographic dividend” said Dr Shabnam Sarfraz, Member Social Sector and Devolution, Planning Commission. She also remarked that for a progressive and prosperous Pakistan, “it is important that we provide equal opportunities to both men and women in education, employment, and entrepreneurship”.

UNFPA Pakistan Country Representative Dr Bakhtior Kadirov called for focusing on every person and ensuring that “our world can support our needs and those of future generations, on human rights and on leaving no one behind”.

Singer, philanthropist and brand ambassador for family planning Shehzad Roy encouraged the government to make sure that a married couple must complete a basic reproductive health course before they can obtain their marriage licence at the Nikkah registrar so that they are adequately informed about family planning and birth spacing before they start their married life.

“This would not only encourage people to adopt family planning measures but also create awareness in women about their basic rights,” Shehzad added.

Other speakers said that the need for family planning remained exorbitantly high in Pakistan. The grassroots challenges such as misconceptions, lack of trained health staff, communication gap between the partners, and many more prevail. If we won’t bring in serious change, Pakistan’s population is projected to double in the next 30 years.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2022.