Population and poverty

There should be no reason for us to wonder why Pakistan despite its resources is stricken by poverty and underdevelopment. The clue lies in the fact that our nation today is amongst the most populous in the world with a population of 220 million at a growth rate of 2.4 percent per annum. This means the country’s population will double in the next 30 years, while for other South Asian countries it will take 60 years for this to happen. At a World Population Day – which fell on July 11 – event organised by the Ministry of National Health Services and UNFPA, the special assistant to the prime minister on health said that this rate of growth was unsustainable and that the government would be putting in place a policy to promote the idea of small families as the norm. He also said that access to family planning and advice on reproductive health would be made more readily available.

There can be no doubt that rapid population growth eats into the meagre socioeconomic development that takes place. Currently one-fourth of the country’s population lives below the poverty line and low literacy, high fertility and high childhood and maternal mortality are all higher in Pakistan than in any other South Asian country. Experts have also pointed out that with a young population of about 37 percent, Pakistan has excellent opportunities for development as the youth population enters the workforce. However, for this, demographics need to be considered. If the population continues to grow unabated, development becomes almost impossible. We are already seeing the results of high population density in urban centres, where sewerage systems, water supplies and the civic infrastructure is insufficient to support the growing number of people who pour into cities. Currently Pakistan has the highest fertility rate in the region at 3.6 children per woman and about 8 percent of women aged between 15 and 19 years are already mothers or pregnant. The high prevalence of child marriage contributes to the high population growth.

The issue of population has not been taken seriously enough by successive governments in the past yet it could present the biggest threat to Pakistan and its survival. With depleted and polluted water resources and widespread environmental destruction, it is obvious our massive population is taking its toll on our land. The fault lies in failing to put in place a systematic strategy to tackle the issue in the past. Countries including Bangladesh have been immensely successful in doing so. We need to learn from them, look at the realities of our own country and find a way to ensure that our population does not grow out of all control in the coming years. If this were to happen it would essentially spell doom for Pakistan.