Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath has warned that Pakistan’s rapidly growing population poses a serious challenge and, without timely and effective interventions, could reach nearly 400 million by 2040.
Addressing a ceremony for the handover of reproductive health and family planning commodities at the Basic Health Unit (BHU), Tarlai, Islamabad, Dr Bharath said the issue required not only government initiatives but also the active participation of every member of society.
He said family planning was not merely about limiting the number of children, but about ensuring that every child was born into a healthy, safe and dignified environment.
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 added 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 when measured against several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Türkiye.
He said limited utilisation of safe and effective family planning methods contributed to unintended pregnancies, which in turn increased the incidence of unsafe abortions, posing serious risks to women’s health and placing additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
The minister said a healthy mother was the foundation of a healthy family and a strong nation. Poor maternal health, he added, adversely affected children’s growth, education, development and the overall well-being of families.
Dr Bharath said that just as fathers bore the responsibility of providing for their families financially, safeguarding maternal health was equally essential for family welfare and national progress.
He informed the audience that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a National Council to address the country’s population challenges. The council, he said, was working on a comprehensive national strategy aimed at promoting balanced population growth, improving maternal and child health, and strengthening family planning services across Pakistan.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Dr Bharath said the Ministry of National Health Services, in collaboration with provincial governments, development partners and relevant institutions, would continue to enhance the accessibility, quality and effectiveness of maternal and child healthcare and family planning services throughout the country.
In his concluding remarks, the minister appealed to all Pakistanis to embrace family planning with a sense of responsibility and awareness, keeping in view the brighter future of coming generations.
He said collective efforts would ensure that every child grew up in a healthy environment, every mother remained safe, and Pakistan moved towards becoming a stronger, healthier and more prosperous nation.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Health Services said the Government of China, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), had provided the Government of Pakistan with reproductive health and family planning medicines, medical supplies and equipment worth US$2 million.
The contribution was described as a significant step towards strengthening reproductive healthcare services, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and expanding public access to quality family planning services across Pakistan.
