KARACHI, July 10: Population Welfare Day is to be observed today (Wednesday) with an emphasis on raising awareness about maternal health and its impact on the quality of life.

At a joint press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, representatives of the Dialogue for Development Forum pointed out that 450 Pakistani women die every year because of poor health and malnutrition.

The convener of the Forum, Abdul Rehim Mousavi of the Lyari Community Development Project, expressed concern over the country’s population which is growing at an annual rate of 1.8 per cent.

He emphasised the need for greater awareness amongst men about issues of reproductive health and maternal mortality, and the benefits of adopting a balanced lifestyle that makes realistic use of available resources.

Ms Sabia Shah informed the meeting that for every 1,000 newborn infants in Pakistan, only 85 live to see their first birthday. She added that the quality of a woman’s life depends on how the male members of her family respond to her health and educational needs. Therefore, she said, men must be encouraged to become more involved in reproductive health programmes.

The press conference was attended by representatives of various organisations including the Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), the Pakistan Voluntary Health and Nutrition Association (Pavhna), Aahang, HANDS, Marie Stops, GMT and the Initiator. Mr Mousavi informed the participants that Population Welfare Day would be observed in a simple manner in view of the havoc wreaked by the recent rains in Sindh and Balochistan.