KARACHI, Feb 6: A two-day advocacy workshop on “Population Development and Issues” organized by the federal ministry of population welfare, in collaboration with the United Nations Fund For Population Activities (UNFPA), began in Karachi on Thursday.

The event was attended by district population officers and deputy district officers of Sindh and Balochistan.

In her inaugural address, Sindh minister for population welfare and women development, Dr Saeeda Malik, underscored the need for population stabilization in the country.

The minister said the main thrust of the events organized should be aimed at rural areas.

“I am sure that such a rural-based approach will not only create awareness among the rural population, but will go a long way in achieving demographic goals and mitigating human miseries,” she said.

Secretary population welfare department Sindh, Mushtaq Ali Memon, in his welcome address, said the population of the country had reached 144.5 million in December 2002, with a growth rate of 2.1.

He said that over the years the increasing population had been seen as a problem with respect to more specific tasks of providing family planning services. However, there was a need to focus beyond family planning services.

“Reduction in infant mortality, promotion of maternal care and women literacy are critical factors in this regard.”

He said there was evidence that most successful population programmes were multi-dimensional, utilizing talents and energies from all sectors of the population and focussing not only on family planning services but on mercury vertical aspects of population welfare, and “accomplishing this target requires new vision, structure and capabilities.”

He said an advocacy campaign would be launched to build and sustain adoption of the small-family norm to create awareness about population and development issues.

Dr Mohsin Saeed Khan, advocacy advisor UNFPA, in his presentation, shed light on the population change and its implications on social sectors.

He said the current population of the country stood at 146 million with a growth rate of 2.1% , and that clearly indicated that the population would double by the year 2035.

“In order to have universal primary education by 2010, the primary education expenditure will have to be increased from Rs20 billion to Rs68 billion. Besides, the annual health expenditure will have to be enhanced from Rs20 billion to Rs34 billion, which will considerably affect the national resources,” said Dr Mohsin.—PPI