ISLAMABAD: Lady Health Workers (LHWs) are pivotal in delivering home-based family planning services, especially in hard-to-reach areas. By engaging families and religious leaders, they create awareness and empower women with choices, tipping the scales in service delivery.

This was stated by Senator Sherry Rehman at the 12th meeting of the Parliamentary Forum on Population (PFP).

The event was organised by the Population Council with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Citing the groundbreaking study Pakistan @2050, Ms Rehman emphasised the urgency of implementing the National Action Plan on population endorsed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

“This study presents two contrasting futures: a ‘Business-as-usual’ (BaU) scenario that exacerbates existing challenges and a CCI-based roadmap that can improve per capita outcomes by 37pc. Population growth impacts all vital sectors - education, health, and the economy - and addressing it must transcend political divides. Female education is especially critical in enabling women to make informed health decisions, including determining family size,” she remarked.

She also highlighted the devastating consequences of unchecked population growth on climate change and national resources calling a rapid increase in population size a ticking bomb.

“Every 10 minutes, a woman in Pakistan dies from preventable causes. Strengthening family planning services and ensuring effective delivery mechanisms are key to saving lives and promoting sustainable development,” she said.

Ms Rehman urged provincial assemblies to adopt resolutions for sustainable population growth and called on the media to lead awareness campaigns to inspire collective action.

Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director of the Population Council, called for immediate accountability on the CCI decisions. She emphasised integrating population welfare indicators into the National Finance Commission (NFC) formula and reducing the weightage of population size in resource allocation.

“Pakistan needs equitable distribution of resources under the NFC, especially for underserved regions like Balochistan, which faces the highest maternal mortality rates and unmet contraceptive needs,” she asserted.

Dr Farooq Sattar, Member National Assembly, described population growth as the “mother of all issues,” urging stronger political will to address it.

“Population growth impacts health, education, and economic sectors. To tackle this crisis, local governments must play a larger role in service delivery, and socio-cultural barriers must be addressed through awareness campaigns,” he said.

Dr Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Country Representative, underscored the critical role of parliamentarians in advancing reproductive health rights.

MPA Uzma Kardar from Punjab called for a joint resolution on sustainable population growth to strengthen legislation and amplify a unified voice. She emphasised engaging standing committees and ensuring departmental accountability.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2024