The writer is a member of the MQM Central Information Committee, a former provincial minister and former adviser to the Sindh chief minister
Have we ever dared to compare the deaths caused by terrorist attacks with the deaths of mothers and children during delivery due to lack of medical facilities, malnourishment and unplanned pregnancies? Terrorist attacks have killed 40,000 in the country since 2011 and according to the Population Council, a reputable international NGO, around 20,000 mothers die every year from complications during childbirth. Further, our child mortality rate is the fourth largest in the world.
Pakistan has a population of 180 million; it contains 2.58 per cent of the world’s population and is the sixth most populous country in the world. Its total fertility rate (TFR) is three, which is the highest when compared with the world birth rate of 1.1 per cent. Economically, Pakistan has no more than three per cent economic growth — almost equal to the birth rate — clearly showing unstable economic growth.
One can disagree with China’s one-child policy but cannot deny its economic growth of 9.2 per cent, which clearly shows the economic strength of the most populous country in the world. China consists of 1.35 billion people — 19 per cent of the entire world population of seven billion.
Similarly, Bangladesh contained more than 55 per cent of the country’s population when it was East Pakistan, before 1971, and now it is still at 150 million; i.e., 2.16 per cent of the world population. It is the eighth most populous country and has a TFR of 2.2. Its economic growth rate is 6.1 per cent. According to UN projections, if fertility rates remain constant, Pakistan's population will jump to nearly 380 million by 2050 and the country will face a devastating scarcity of resources.
As a matter of fact, this unbridled population will have an adverse impact on the distribution of natural resources, including food, water and shelter. It is proven that population is inversely proportional to per capita income and that the economy receives a direct impact from an increase in population. The Malthusian Theory of Population is still workable to understand the relation of population growth in geometric means and food growth in arithmetic means while technology remains constant.
Unfortunately, the Government of Pakistan and political parties still do not have a clear vision to address this issue with respect to economics and security of society. In the past, governments simply began imposing birth control panic with different slogans like "do bachay khush haal gharana" or "bachay do hi achay", which created further fear and confusion among masses.
During the recent democratic government’s rule, Balochistan had a TFR of 4.1 and there seemed to be no activity by the Population Welfare Department in the province. Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have had a TFR of 4.3 for the last 10 years and no significant progress has been made. Punjab also has a TFR of 3.9 and again, the Population Welfare Department lagged behind and only remained engaged for five long years with the health department on power transfers.
Ironically, major political parties chant slogans for the empowerment of women but when it comes to women’s health, they hesitate to include the population issue in their manifestos. The MQM is the only political party whose manifesto reflects the family welfare concept as per the need of the hour.
There is a great need for introducing legislation in parliament to provide an enabling environment for mothers and children to seek health care and make it incumbent upon the state to provide essential services. Investment in education and health for our women can considerably increase the economic growth of the country. Health education should be part of school curricula at the middle and higher levels. Furthermore, there is a need to incorporate lady health workers into the local government system to provide basic awareness, facilities and services to males and females at the grass-root level.
It is food for thought for all of us to stabilise the economic growth of our country, manage its resources, prevent our mothers and newborns from death, and have safe births to protect and secure society at large.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (11)
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@Ali tanoli: . sahab i dont agreed with your statment big papulation is gift of god u can utilized them in devolpment of country and its a army itself no one dare to think of occupying you. i dont agreed with your statment big papulation is gift of god u can utilized them in devolpment of country and its a army itself no one dare to think of occupying you.
just google and you will find that economically backward countries have high fertility rate. Higher income group has information, access , resources and mindset to adopt birth control methods while poor and illiterate people are opposite to it and the outcome is obvious. A belief that "the children are the gift of GOD" is simply an excuse for more number of children in the family( own incapability to have better resources). Population alone does not create strength to become an army unless it is equipped with skill and resources ( weaponry with updated technology and brain power) Colonization was aimed to exploit the resources of the territory/ country occupied now the ways and means have been changed. it is the economy which saves a country and not the physical force.
@p r sharma: You made 2 statements. I agree with one and disagree with the other.
"Poverty and lack of entertainment avenues are directly linked to increase in fertility rate.
Nice coffe table statement but ot quite true. Per capita income in Bangladesh is lower than Pakistan yet their total fertility rate is almost 40% lower than Pakistan. If poverty were linked to high boirth rates this would not occur. The key reasons of high fertility ae:
Son pregerence which leads people oto keep trying until son is born. High infant mortality rate (so even one son is often not a full stop because of a legitimate fer of losing him) Low female literacy and a patriarchial system that does not empower women to make informed choices about birth control Unmet contraceptive needs (couples who have decided they want to stop but do not find the health infrastructure to facilitate them easily accessible)"Fast population growth will erode/ neutralize the benefits of economic growth". True at current levels of population and population growth. OF course low birth rate and declining population is proving a constraint to SIngapore, Japan etc..
@p r shama, sahab i dont agreed with your statment big papulation is gift of god u can utilized them in devolpment of country and its a army itself no one dare to think of occupying you.
Glad to see someone has raised this very critical issue; this is mother of all our evils --- due to large poor families children are not well fed/ educated, resulting in a force of uneducated poor people who will also be unable to feed/educate their children. And this vicious cycle carries on perpetually. It's true there is no solution soon, but at least someday we have to start before it’s too late.
Dont see this problem solving any time soon :)
I think ethanic based politics is biggest hurdle in devolepment of pakistan.
Poverty and lack of entertainment avenues are directly linked to increase in fertility rate. Fast population growth will erode/ neutralize the benefits of economic growth.
If you cannot change people's minds, just supply the whole country with 24 hour electricity and you will see the difference.
Ban the law which grants permission to husbands which gives him the right to have 4 wives. And make 1 child policy mandatory. That will solve most of the problem.
This is a HUGE cause of social decay in our country. One of many causes but still a BIG cause. I try to imagine how we will ever cope with a population of 380 million. If we can co
An issue that must be addressed before it is too late. Well Done Sir Hassan Sahib. It is no good not looking at internal problems and blaming the external powers for the state of affairs. The resources will ger scarce. Water will be in short supply affecting agriculture meaning Roti. It will be a policy of diminishing returns to blame India for water. Measures implemented now will take many yaers to yield any tangible results. Education of women and diverting the course of mullahs is important.