United Nations Population Fund has recently launched its state of the world population report in Pakistan. This report has brought up some very concerning facts about the state of the population in Pakistan. According to recent figures, the population of Pakistan is almost at a whopping 200 million. The population growth rate in Pakistan is 2.1 percent higher than the rest of the world.
A rising population is good news since it means that most people in the country are young. A young population means a productive population. A big population is, however, only beneficial if it is well-fed, educated and above all healthy.
Otherwise, a big population becomes a burden and a barrier in the way of economic success. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s population is nearer to the latter category. The UNFPA report discusses this in detail and in this article we take a look at its synopsis.
What does the report say?
The report has come up with some interesting indicators to guide future policies. These indicators are to measure the health of the world population including Pakistan. The main emphasis for Pakistan is on the issue of rapidly rising population. There is also concern about reducing the economic conditions of the existing population.
The report is thus released under the name of ‘The Unfinished Business: The Pursuit of Rights and Choices for All’. The major conclusion is that controlling unwanted pregnancies and early marriages and pregnancies can help reduce poverty in the country.
The report further explains the history of sexual and reproductive health in Pakistan. It also shines some light on the development goal which is to ensure reproductive rights for all. This goal is set by the International Conference on Population and Development. Pakistan is far behind on this development goal. Some of the programs started by ICPD are working towards making it happen and progress is on the way.
What do we learn?
The main lesson to be learned from this report is that unwanted pregnancies are the main culprit behind the rising population in the country. Lack of free reproductive rights and choices are also a contributing factor. These unwanted pregnancies are bringing children into families who are unable to support them. As a result, poverty is increasing rapidly. The economic statistics are also going down with each passing year.
Pakistanis thus need to actively plan families and make full use of contraceptives. Family planning is the only way population can be controlled in Pakistan. It is also the only way to improve the conditions of the existing population.
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This article was produced in partnership with oladoc.com, a digital health company in Pakistan. Using oladoc, you can find the best gynecologist in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and book an appointment online
