AS we mark the passage of the UN World Population Day today, there is more than ever reason to reflect upon why the issue was deemed worthy of note. This was the date, 30 years ago, when the planet’s population was approximated as having hit 5bn. It was retained as a day of observance by the UN to keep the focus on population issues, particularly their effects on development and the environment, and to further advocacy on safe and voluntary family planning. With the global population now in excess of 7bn, it is disheartening to note that notwithstanding the efforts made by national and international authorities over the years, some 225m women around the world remain unable to prevent pregnancy through safe and effective family planning methods, for reasons that range from a lack of information or services to partners or communities that are hostile to the idea. Most of the women in this category live in the world’s 69 poorest countries.

Pakistan is no stranger to the double bind of unmet family planning needs and the burdens imposed by a growing population graph. The country holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s sixth most populous nation, with the figure estimated to near 250m by 2030. These realities, as well as the fact that national demographics are skewed heavily towards the young, ought to garner far more attention in policymaking circles than is currently the case. The challenges ahead warrant meticulous planning now. Before the 2017 exercise, the last census in the country was conducted in 1998 — an unfortunate delay considering that a population count is the basis of development plans and electoral reforms. Now that this exercise has been carried out, it is to be hoped that the results are made public as quickly as possible, and without political considerations of the sort that delayed the holding of the census in the first place. The challenges posed by a burgeoning population will be intense, and Pakistan ignores them at its own peril.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2017