Population growth placing intense pressure on Sindh’s resources: CM

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said the 2023 digital census shows a national population surge, with an annual growth rate of 2.55 per cent, which brings Pakistan’s population to 241 million, with Sindh’s surpassing 55 million.

“The two key drivers of this population growth are a high birth rate, and significant migration from within Pakistan and abroad, which places intense pressure on the province’s limited resources, affecting job availability, health care, education, housing and food supply.”

Shah chaired a meeting of the provincial taskforce on population growth at the CM House to follow up on key actions taken on the decisions set forth by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and the Supreme Court.

He emphasised the importance of addressing the province’s rapidly growing population. “This task force will build upon the achievements already made, guiding both policy and practical approaches.”

He said that while Sindh’s population has grown to over 55 million people according to the previous year’s census, officials suspect that the province’s population may have been undercounted.

He added that despite the intense pressure on the province’s limited resources, his government has been making efforts to mitigate the socio-economic effects of the rapid population growth.

He referred to several legislative and policy measures, including the 2013 child marriages restraint act, the recently approved reproductive health rights bill, the Sindh Population Policy 2016, and the 2015 costed implementation plan (CIP) on family planning, as part of the province’s proactive approach.

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

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

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, along with the introduction of marital counselling, and refocusing lady health workers on family planning.

The task force has created a comprehensive roadmap to consolidate reforms by 2030, focusing on expanding integrated health and population services through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure universal access, and prioritising quality service delivery by providing quality commodities, equipment and skilled human resources to maximise client satisfaction.

It will also engage youth, adolescents and girls in life skills education while mobilising males and community leaders to promote positive social and gender norm, strengthen systems through legislation, advocacy, social and behavioural change initiatives, and accountability measures, and enhance systems through supportive supervision, evaluation and multi-sectoral collaboration to sustain impact.

To implement the CCI’s recommendations and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the CM highlighted the necessity for greater integration of health and population sectors, especially at district and facility levels.

The roadmap also includes targeted hiring and logistical support, as outlined in the CIP, which consists of recruiting 350 family welfare workers and acquiring monitoring vehicles. Efforts to enhance PPPs 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 the province. The CM 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 the province.