‘Role of media, involvement of women key for population welfare’

* Population welfare dept secretary says more people aware about use of contraceptives
* Adviser to CM says govt serious in addressing problems related to population welfare


LAHORE: The role of the media and the active involvement of women is must for the success of the Population Welfare Programme, Population Welfare Department Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir said on Sunday.

Speaking at a seminar held at a local hotel to mark the World Population Day, Munir said Pakistan was one of the pioneers in formulating policy objectives on population welfare.

Aware: He said that although some cultural taboos have proved to be a hindrance in the success of the programme, awareness about contraceptives was still on the rise, adding that other countries such as Iran and Iraq had taken religious scholars onboard to create awareness among the people and the same should happen in Pakistan.

He said the population growth rate of 2.05 percent, which is lesser than in previous years, is still very high. Commenting on women’s health issues, he said that sexual reproduction in our region starts after marriage, which is why the government has set a minimum age of 18 years for one to be married. Moreover, Munir said that although the population welfare programme is lagging behind in its targets, it was still a beacon of hope, as it has brought together organisations from various regions. Citing an indicator of success, he highlighted the fact that discussions on population welfare issues were becoming acceptable in general public.

Serious: Adviser to the Chief Minister Zakia Shahnawaz appreciated the presentation and gave the assurance that the government was serious in addressing different problems related to the welfare of the population. She said the population of the planet had increased significantly over the last century, making the Earth an over-populated planet that was “running out of resources”.

“Today is the 21st World Population Day and the present situation demands changing attitudes, popular lifestyles...education of the female child, especially in rural areas, is the key to resolving issues,” Zakia said, adding that Pakistan was the world’s sixth most-populated country and experts have predicted that it will become the fourth largest country by 2022.

She said that 45 percent of our population does not have any access to healthcare facilities, 35 percent with no access to portable water and other indicators were also very high in the region. Daily Times

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