Population Day Seeks To Focus Attention On Urgency, Importance Of Population Issues:Dr Sania Nishtar

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar has stated that the Population day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues in Pakistan with 3-4 million people being added to the population every year

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jul, 2019 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar has stated that the Population day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues in Pakistan with 3-4 million people being added to the population every year She expressed these words while speaking on the occasion of the 'World Population Day' celebrated here on Thursday with the support of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Dr. Sania Nishtar was the guest of honor and keynote speaker while Dr. Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Ms. Lina Mousa, UNFPA Representative and Ms. Kemi Williams, Deputy Head of DFID were also present on the occasion, a press release issued here said.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Zafar Mirza said that we were striving hard to make reproductive health and family planning services available to every household of the country under the broad-based approach. We were placing emphasis on reducing infant, child and maternal mortality rates that will prevent the deaths of one million or more children under the age of five.

In her keynote address, Dr. Nishtar said the Prime Minister has strongly hinged the entire agenda of Ehsaas Program on the women's economic empowerment which is critical for better population outcomes. And, Ehsaas framework is highly skewed towards the socio-economic uplift of 6 million poor women who will benefit from the Kafalat to preferential support for women through Tahafuz. More than 50% of the education vouchers and scholarships will be for women. Also, Insaf Card covers health conditions for women, preferentially.

Further, Dr. Nishtar urged that Federal and provincial governments should transform the entire family planning and health services facilities and infrastructure by introducing a new business models coupled with accountability of health measures that have already been legislated.

There is also a dire need to create awareness among masses on population and development issues and politicians should not feel shy to talk about these issues in public. Ehsaas program gives us an opportunity to revive our commitment to the cause of population and development and collaborate to make these services easily available and accessible, she added.