Population growth rate alarms experts

Moot says scholars, media, civil society role key to combat rise

RAWALPINDI:

Experts and officials at a seminar regarding Pakistan’s population growth noted that Pakistan’s growth rate was around 2.7 per cent, which is much higher than global growth rate, while urging scholars, media and civil society to play their role in combatting the problem.

The Punjab Council of the Arts Council (PUCAR) along with the district population welfare office in Rawalpindi organised the seminar to spread awareness among the public.

The caretaker health minister of the province, Dr Jamal Nasir, said that the results of the latest census had confirmed that Pakistan was the fifth most populous country in the world after China, India, the United States and Indonesia.

He noted that the global population had already crossed the eight-billion mark while Pakistan’s population continued to grow at a much higher rate than in the region or globally.

He added that the Punjab government was taking the necessary steps to prevent overpopulation and family planning.  The head of the population welfare department in Rawalpindi, Shireen Sukhan said that population growth was the reason Pakistan was facing so many development challenges.

“The constant rise in the population results in rising poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, environmental pollution, and high maternal and child mortality rates,” she said. Ensuring access to high-quality family planning services can provide a sustainable solution to all these problems, she added.

PUCAR Director Waqar Ahmed said the gap between available resources and population can be reduced by reducing the rate of population growth. “We also need to change our way of thinking,” he added.

He added that the effective cooperation of scholars, media and civil society would be instrumental in combatting the problem.

A performance was also part of the seminar which highlighted the importance of family planning as well as challenging mindsets towards maternal and child health.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2023.