ABBOTTABAD, Sept 12: If the prevailing high population growth rate goes unchecked, it would exert unmanageable pressure on economic development and social sector services including health, housing, education and employment, says Dr Mahoroo Hamayun Director-General Ministry of Population Welfare while inaugurating a two-day training workshop of here at local hotel on Monday.

The two-day meeting is being attended by the principals of 12 regional training institutes from all over the country, provincial and federal officials of population welfare department, doctors and representatives of NGOs.

Dr Mahroo said that Pakistan with its estimated population of 150 million has been ranked as the sixth most populated country in the world and said that need of the hour was to create not only awareness among the public but to act boldly to put the country in the category of developed nation as we were already struggling very hard to manage our limited resources and meet the demand of our future. We have to involve all segments of the society including private sector, members of the social society and intelligentsia to mobile and supplement population welfare programme.

She said that federal population welfare department had launched the capacity building programme of people from all walks of life which included LHV’s, dispensers, health technicians, para- medics, doctors, hakeems and teachers to educate the people about the plan and were concentrating on reproductive health with special attention to infant mortality rate, health care and inter-family marriage diseases.

Dr Shfaqat Javed Sheikh, director of clinical training ministry of population welfare and Dr Hassan Faisal, principal of regional training institute, Abbottabad also spoke and briefed participants about the salient features of the workshop.