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Health care reform

Pakistan Lawmakers Declare Population Growth a National Emergency

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Pakistan lawmakers have called for declaring rapid unsustainable population growth a national emergency, emphasizing the need to ensure universal access to education, improve reproductive health services, and empower local governments to deliver family welfare programs. They urged the revision of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to remove incentives that favor population growth and reward provinces for progress in health, education, and population stabilization. The parliamentarians welcomed the Council of Islamic Ideology's endorsement of birth spacing and its recommendation to involve religious leaders in disseminating messages on its permissibility.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 14th Meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population called for declaring population growth a national emergency, with lawmakers urging the revision of the NFC Award to prioritize health, education, and population stabilization.
  • Education must be made accessible and universal, ensuring equal opportunities for citizens, especially those from marginalized communities.
  • The Council of Islamic Ideology has endorsed birth spacing as aligned with Islamic principles, which can help safeguard the health and wellbeing of both mother and child.
  • Lawmakers emphasized the need for strengthened local government systems to provide family planning, maternal and child health, and reproductive health services.
  • A Prime Minister-led national task force is proposed to drive coordinated action across provinces, as well as revise the NFC Award to reflect social development priorities.
  • Population welfare should be embedded within Pakistan's broader economic and human development plans.

Statistics:

  • Pakistan's high maternal and infant mortality rates demand immediate attention, with birth spacing playing a vital role in saving lives.
  • The country's progress depends on ensuring universal access to education, as emphasized by lawmakers.
  • The Population Council's Country Director, Dr. Zeba Sathar, stressed the urgency of moving from dialogue to action, as population stabilization is treated as a national emergency.

Sources:

  • "Pakistan Lawmakers Call for National Emergency on Population Growth" (The Nation, weekend edition)
  • Population Council Pakistan's Country Director Dr. Zeba Sathar's statement at the 14th Meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population
  • UNFPA Pakistan's Deputy Country Representative Dr. Gulnara Kadyrkulova's statement at the meeting
  • Council of Islamic Ideology's report on birth spacing and its recommendation to involve religious leaders

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