Assessing our nation’s progress — 76 years on

As we celebrate our 76^th Independence Day anniversary, it is fitting to reflect on the progress we have achieved as a nation and the path that still lies ahead. The challenge however is what criteria one can employ to gauge a country’s progress. Many years ago, while teaching community medicine to medical students, I came across a poignant definition that was included in the introduction of the 1997 Unicef report entitled ‘Progress of Nations’. It surmised that “the day will come when nations will be judged not by their military or economic strength nor by the splendour of their capital cities and public buildings; by the wellbeing of their people; by their levels of health, nutrition and education; by their opportunities to earn a fair reward for their labour and the provision that is made for those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged; and by the protection that is afforded to the growing minds and bodies of their children.”

Our progress in many fields despite insurmountable odds has been impressive. We have increased our life expectancy, brought down the incidence of certain communicable diseases and widened our health coverage. However, our journey to improve the well-being of our people remains long and arduous. Presently we record the second-highest number of stillbirths. Along with Afghanistan, we are the only two countries where polio is endemic and among the seven countries that account for 50 per cent of global maternal deaths — a poor reflection of our healthcare system. About 23 million of our children are out of school and 2.2 million of our youth between the ages 15-24 years are unemployed. Our population is growing at the fastest rate in the region. Around 38 per cent of our children below the age of 5 years are stunted which also impacts their intellectual growth. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had forewarned that no nation can progress without the equal participation of its women. Sadly though, on the global gender equality index, we are among the tailenders, indicating a long road ahead for empowering our women and providing them equal opportunities.

According to the Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, development is increasing people’s opportunities to improve their lives according to their aspirations. Universally, parents aspire to secure a better life for their children. Given a choice, no parent would want to trade their children or force them to work, often in menial jobs, or admit them to charitable educational institutions where they often endure harsh conditions. Sadly, such practices persist among many large, impoverished Pakistani families driven by circumstances beyond their control.

A fundamental question is: do parents have the means to fulfil the basic rights of their children?

Empirical evidence shows a major disconnect between couples’ aspirations about the size of the family they desire and the number of children they have. Within resource-constrained households, each closely spaced and unplanned birth compromises their children’s entitlement to a better future. Providing young couples with family planning information prior to marriage and the resources to plan their families after marriage can empower couples to offer better prospects for their children.

Women’s and children’s well-being should be on our priority development agenda. We must invest in improving maternal and childcare services, accessible education for girls and sustainable employment opportunities. Empowering women, both economically and socially, is a practical means to uplift families and, by extension, the nation.

Only when every Pakistani has the opportunity to realise their full potential will we be able to fulfil the vision of our Founding Father of making Pakistan one of the greatest nations of the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2023.

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