Sindh to introduce population control policy soon

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Sindh to introduce population control policy soon

The Sindh government will introduce a new population control policy in four months. The policy is being prepared by population welfare department in collaboration with United Nation Population Fund. These views were express by Sharmila Farooqui, Provincial Adviser on Culture while addressing a seminar organised by the population welfare department to mark the World Population Day.

She informed that there was no effective development plan in the country due to the absence of actual figures of population. We are allocating funds in each sector without determining the need. The census in the country will help allocate funds as per the requirement in each department. She said the population control debate had faced a severe backlash in the country. Sindh took the lead in promulgating the Sindh Child Restraint Marriage Act but it faced severe criticism from thje Council of Islamic Ideology.

The youth need better opportunities of employment, health and education. Like other development policies, a national youth development policy should also be prepared to provide opportunities to youngsters.

 

Shrutidhar Tiripathi, United Nation Population Fund Sindh Coordinator said Pakistan had a youth bulge as its 60 percent of the population comprised people less than 29 years. The youth bulge has enormous advantages for the growth of the country however it also has some disadvantages. 70 percent of the Pakistani youth were literate which included 85 percent literacy in urban areas and 55 percent in rural areas. The majority of girls did not utilise their education in practical fields due to early marriages. Fifty percent of women are married before the age of 20 which not only creates problems for them but also increases the infant mortality rate.

He also called for ending gender disparity and said women should be provided with the opportunities to come forward and play their role for the progress of the country.

Dr. Fateh Mohammad, Head of the Sociology Department, University of Karachi said countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh were young with a 60 percent youth population in comparison with Japan, the US and China. Fifty percent of Pakistani youth do not go to schools and those who go and acquire higher education do not have better opportunities of employment. This creates resentment among the youth. He said lack of education was the major reason behind the intolerance among youth and unrest in the country.

Dr. Rukhsana, Medical Officer at Civil Hospital, Karachi said that adolescents hesitated to discuss issues regarding their health and changes in their body when they reached the age of puberty. The subjects of child nutrition and health should be included in school curriculums to create awareness among children.

2017-04-26T12:35:01+00:00