RAWALPINDI, Jun 25 (APP): Rawalpindi’s Health and Population Department has intensified efforts to curb alarming population growth in the city through robust measures. Under the directives by the Punjab government to address escalating population growth, the healthcare services have been enhanced.
Dr. Asif Arab Niazi, CEO District Health Authority highlighted that country’s population growth stands at alarming 2.55%, which is the highest in South Asia, and warned that, according to UN estimates, the population could double to 480 million by 2049 if current trends persist.
“To counter this, the Punjab government has prioritized family planning, integrating the Population Welfare Department with the Health Department to form the unified Health and Population Department, the merger aims to streamline efforts and adopt a targeted approach to population control”, he said while underlining the vital initiative by the government.
Dr. Niazi emphasized that family planning services were a core focus across all healthcare facilities in Rawalpindi, the 4th most populous city of the country with population of 5.4 million.
“The services are being provided at district’s 4 teaching hospitals, 70 Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals, 10 Rural Health Centers (RHCs), Basic Health Units (BHUs), and 98 newly established Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics” the health chief said adding the facilities are equipped with dedicated family planning services, including women’s clinics and family health centers, ensuring the availability of all necessary commodities.
He further said that the DHA was also leveraging mobile service units, field hospitals, and community-based systems to expand access to educating people and guiding them about family management, particularly in underserved areas.
“A strong focus on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) methods, such as subdermal implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs), to increase the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) and Couple-Years of Protection (CYP)”, he said highlighting the efforts to reduce maternal, infant, and neonatal mortality rates while curbing population growth.
Dr. Asif informed that nearly 1,000 skilled birth attendants, lady health workers, charge nurses, midwives, and doctors were exclusively providing family planning services across Rawalpindi’s healthcare network.
Dr. Shereen Sukhan, Director District Population Welfare Office (DPWO) emphasized pre-martial counseling and massive awareness campaign, noting the critical role of media, religious scholars and youth. She also highlighted that the legislative efforts in combating the escalating population have reached the constitutional bodies, which are awaited to be materialised.
“The legislational cover will further enhance the positive outcome with considerable acceleration”, she said.
Farah Amin who is City Manager at TCI, a major contributor assisting the health department rendering these efforts, observed a significant improvement in prioritizing the issue of rapid growth rate increase.
She appreciates that the district government has launched a targeted family planning program under the theme “Planning a Family is all about Saving Mothers and Protecting Happy Families,” another step to combat the prevailing challenge.
“Our objective is to initiate and assis the local government towards a self reliance maneuvering to attain ultimate goal of combating escalating population”, she said.
