KARACHI: Media urged to help cut population growth
KARACHI, June 13: The Sindh Minister for Population Welfare, Syed Ali Bux Shah, here on Monday disclosed details of a proposal aimed at seeking public approval for family planning strategies. Speaking at a media seminar organized by Sindh Population Welfare Department he said summary of the proposal meant to motivate couples in the urban and rural areas to opt for small families with two kids only, had been despatched to the Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim for necessary perusal and was expected to be deliberated during the next cabinet meeting.
The minister giving details of the suggestions said couples, particularly those belonging to the rural area with low literacy rates, would be offered a package under which government would offer absolutely free of cost health care facilities, at all government hospitals and relevant facilities scattered across the province to the couples with only two children.
Mr Shah maintained that this would be in addition to the firm and guaranteed commitments to bear all educational expenses of the concerned couples’s two children, up to graduation level, besides meeting their expenses related to purchase of books, copies and uniform.
Later talking to journalists, the minister said his department was the only one receiving funds from the federal government.
Giving details of the same he said Rs191 million had been allocated to the department by the federal government for the fiscal year 2005-06 adding that a comparatively small amount was also provided by the provincial government too, which was Rs30 million in 2004-05 along with funds provided by the federal government.
With regard to the event itself ie the media seminar, the minister said that strong support was direly required of both the print and electronic media to address a scenario where a child was born at every sixth minute while a mother died, during delivery, every 20 minutes in our country.
Attributing the scenario to unplanned population growth, with almost no consideration for child spacing, mothers’ health, socio-economic status of the families, facilities, services available to the masses in general and above all misconception and myths among masses, the minister reminded that seven infants died every hour due to improper care and handling.
Referring to the available estimates showing the present population, with even a population growth of 1.9 per cent, to increase two folds in the next 30 years, he said it was perhaps the most appropriate time for all segments of the society to think of the scenario and capabilities to feed and meet health and social care to the fast growing number of people.
Mr Shah urged the media to realize its responsibilities of sensitizing and educating the masses. — APP
