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Tuesday March 19, 2024

The population bomb

By Editorial Board
October 20, 2018

The report released by the UN on the State of World Population 2018 fears that Pakistan’s population growth rate of 2.4 percent per year could overtake any developmental gains the country is able to make. This would have further negative impact on the economy, education, health, environment and the quality of life for all citizens. Experts within the country have already warned that the rate of population increase in Pakistan could present the bigger danger to the country and its future. They have warned of a situation where there are simply not enough resources to feed people, to provide water or even enough space for people to live on or stand without being squeezed together. This may be a dramatic look into the future. But the report by UNFPA titled ‘The Power of Choice: Reproductive Right and the Democratic Transition’ warns of an extremely dangerous trend. The UN organisation and its local partners have pointed out that the current Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the country is higher compared to all nations in the region except Afghanistan; Pakistan is already the fifth most populous country in the world. The report highlights how lack of choice contributes to problems and suggests that better family planning and the use of modern contraception could help thousands of families in choosing their desired family size and pursuing their dreams. The report points out that, while no country in the world can claim that its citizens enjoy full reproductive rights, the situation is especially grim in some nations.

While reproductive health has improved dramatically across the world since 1994 and the International Conference on Population and Development, Pakistan still lags behinds. It has been suggested that making far greater efforts to provide universal access to healthcare, ensuring better education, raising awareness at all levels and advocating for a change in attitudes may help Pakistan meet its population goals. At present, statistics show that women are eager to have greater control over family size and also access to affordable childcare and education for their children. This is a dilemma Pakistan has been struggling with for a very long time. Nations all around us have been able to push down population growth and thereby create for themselves the possibility of a better future. Our failure in this respect has potentially grave consequences and needs to be addressed on a priority basis.