Daily Times

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that high birth rate and significant migration from within Pakistan and abroad, were the key factors which placed intense pressure on the province’s limited resources, affecting job availability, healthcare, education, housing and food supply.

The CM said the 2023 digital census indicates a national population surge, with an annual growth rate of 2.55 per cent, which brings Pakistan’s population to 241 million, and Sindh’s population has surpassed 55 million.

He said this while presiding over a meeting of the Taskforce on Population Growth to follow up on key action taken on decisions previously set forth by Pakistan’s Council of Common Interests and the Supreme Court.

The meeting was held at CM House and attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Dr Azra Pechuho, Nasir Shah, Sardar Shah, Shahina Sher Ali, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman P&D, provincial secretaries, Dr. Luay Shabaneh, Country Representative of UNFPA, representatives from USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Technical Advisor Population dept Talib Lashari, and other participants attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of addressing Sindh’s rapidly growing population. “This task force will build upon the achievements already made, guiding both policy and practical approaches,” he stated.

Shah said that the recent 2023 digital census indicates a national population surge, with an annual growth rate of 2.55 per cent, resulting in a total population of 241 million in Pakistan. “Sindh alone has grown to over 55 million people, although officials suspect that the census data may have undercounted the actual figures,” he said.

The chief minister, despite these challenges, highlighted his government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the socio-economic effects of rapid population growth. He referenced several legislative and policy measures, including the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 2013, the recently approved Reproductive Health Rights Bill, the Population Policy of Sindh (2016), and the Costed Implementation Plan on Family Planning (2015), as part of Sindh’s proactive approach.

Murad Shah expressed optimism for productive dialogue among the experts present, stating that the insights gained would play a crucial role in shaping the province’s future population policies and sustainable development efforts.

In the meeting, the significant achievements and strategic directions were outlined as Sindh seeks to address pressing population challenges and advance its Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) goals.

The task force reported notable progress in integrating stakeholders on a single platform, including the FP2030 Working Group and other entities. The achievements include the engagement of Community Midwives (CMWs), along with the introduction of marital counselling and refocusing Lady Health Workers (LHWs) on family planning, now including the administration of initial injection doses.

The other achievements are the introduction of the Sayana Press and outreach for youth and adolescents through life skills education; efforts like RHS B, partnerships with professional associations (PPP Plus), contraceptive distribution to NGOs, and data integration across platforms (like ECR, cLMIS, DHIS2, and the CIP database) and USAID’s Momentum Project in Washington D.C. recognised Sindh’s Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) as one of the best practices globally, alongside CIPs from Tanzania and Ghana.

While significant strides have been made, challenges remain in integration at the facility level, counselling, and follow-up. Observations from the first phase of CIP implementation highlighted a greater focus on the supply side, underscoring the need for a behaviour change strategy to boost service utilization.

The task force has created a comprehensive roadmap to consolidate reforms by 2030, focusing on the areas as follows, expanding integrated health and population services through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure universal access.

Prioritizing quality service delivery by providing quality commodities, equipment, and skilled human resources to maximize client satisfaction.

Engaging youth, adolescents, and girls in life skills education while mobilizing males and community leaders to promote positive social and gender norms.

Strengthening systems through legislation, advocacy, social and behavioural change initiatives, and accountability measures and enhancing systems through supportive supervision, evaluation, and multi-sectoral collaboration to sustain impact, were part of the roadmap.

To implement the CCI recommendations and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the chief minister highlighted the necessity for greater integration of health and population sectors, especially at the district and facility levels, in collaboration with the PPHI and RMNCH.

The roadmap also includes targeted hiring and logistic support as outlined in the CIP, which consists of recruiting 350 Family Welfare Workers and acquiring monitoring vehicles. Efforts to enhance public-private partnerships will focus on improving private facility accreditation, enforcing family planning standards through the Sindh Healthcare Commission, and building new alliances with development partners, donors, and NGOs.

The task force reaffirmed its commitment to advancing family planning and population welfare initiatives in Sindh. The chief minister emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to address the challenges posed by rapid population growth and to ensure a sustainable future for Sindh.