Time has come to adopt small family norm

[LahoreEstate]

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Muhammad Qasim

Rawalpindi

Health experts believe that it is almost impossible to make Pakistan a land of peace and prosperity without a manageable population and the time has come to adopt the small family norm.

Pakistan is facing a formidable challenge of tackling the issues of economic development and poverty reduction. Pakistan is among the high-fertility countries with a large proportion of young adults and children. The population of Pakistan was 33 million in 1950 and its rank was 14th in the world. Today, it has reached around 165 million making Pakistan the 6th most populous country of the world, after China, India, USA, Indonesia, Brazil, and surpassed Japan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Korea and Russia. In terms of land area it is 34th, and shares 0.6% of world area and in terms of Human Development Index, it is on 136th position in the world. Out of these countries, Pakistan has the highest population growth rate at around 1.8%. Each family in Pakistan on average has three children.

Country cannot make economic progress and eradicate poverty without halting the rising population. “The cancer of population growth must be cut out,” said Head of Community Medicine at Islamabad Medical and Dental College Professor Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World Population Day. The day is being observed today (July 11) around the globe.

This year the theme of World Population Day is ‘Fight Poverty — Educate Girls’ that also highlights the importance of education for girls in the reduction of poverty from the country.

“This year’s theme is a chance to build awareness of educating girls to a wide range of development issues including poverty, human rights and gender equality. Women, more than men, invest their earnings in health and education of children,” said Dr. Ashraf.

He added that by averting one birth, there is Rs0.5 million saving to the country’s economy.

If the population of the country continues to grow with the same rate (1.8%), it is likely to double in the next 39 years, making Pakistan the 3rd most populous country of the world; whereas the arable land area will remain the same rather will be reduced due to residential plans.

Population Growth Rate (PGR) of Pakistan is highest and its Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (36%) is lowest even when compared to other Muslim countries like Turkey, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, and Malaysia which is really a matter of great concern, said Dr. Ashraf.

He added that major factors responsible for high PGR in Pakistan are high fertility, declining mortality, early marriage, early puberty, son preference, high Infant Mortality (70.2 per 1,000 live births), poverty (children are considered to be social and economic security), illiteracy, religious constraints, beliefs, customs and traditions.

Rapid PGR in Pakistan is resulting in shortage of educational facilities, health services, food, living space, arable land, clean water, housing units, fossil fuels, putting pressure on transportation, electricity, sewage, sanitation, and increase in unemployment, land fragmentation, import of food, environmental degradation, overcrowding and congestion in households, squatter settlements, poverty, unrest, crimes, drug addiction, urbanization, dependency rates and population density.

About 50% of the people in Pakistan do not have access to safe drinking water. Only 55% of our population is literate and the absolute number of illiterates is increasing due to fast growing population. More than half of our population do not have access to basic health care facilities. There is one doctor for 1,212 persons and only hospital bed for 1,575 people. Our Maternal Mortality Rate (350-400 per hundred thousand) and Infant mortality Rate (70.2 per 1,000 live births) still one of the highest in the world, said Dr. Ashraf.

Talking on solution of the problem, Dr. Ashraf said that status of women in the society should be increased by providing educational and employment opportunities. This will not only safeguard their integrity but will also help them to attain positive say in house-hold decision making, especially in regard to their own regulation of fertility.

“We need to educate two segments of society, one religious scholars — because majority of our population believes what they say — and two teachers — because they are ultimate builders of nation,” he said.

The Fatwas of Al-Azhar University & Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on the justification of family planning should be publicised with a view to eliciting opinion on the subject from different sections of society. “If majority of people endorse the said Fatwas, the government should control population through legislation, as in China, where there is one-child family system.”

He added that age of marriage should be raised to 25 in case of males and 23 in case of females. “Zero Population Growth (ZPG) must be achieved, if the human species is to survive. In order to achieve the ZPG, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) would need to drop from present three children per woman average to two-child average which is the Replacement Level Fertility.”

Dr. Ashraf said that if we do not want to leave behind a legacy of famines and plagues, barren land and illness, serious measures should be called for to tackle the spiralling population through political decision-making to address the issue.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=187507