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ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath on Wednesday warned that Pakistan’s population could reach 400 million by 2040, stressing that public awareness and individual responsibility were essential to address the country’s rapid population growth.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Tarlai, Dr Bharath said effective measures for maternal and child healthcare and family planning had become an urgent national priority. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a national council to curb population growth and strengthen policy interventions in the sector.
The minister said parents should carefully consider whether they had the necessary resources to provide their children with adequate nutrition, quality education, timely immunisation, access to healthcare and proper upbringing before planning their families. He emphasised that a healthy and prosperous society could only be built when every child enjoyed their fundamental rights.
Highlighting the importance of reproductive health services, Dr Bharath noted that the use of modern contraceptive methods in Pakistan remained comparatively low compared with several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkiye.
