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ISLAMABAD, Jun 19 (APP):Minister for National Health Services, Mustafa Kamal, on Thursday emphasized the urgent need for a national policy to control population growth, urging nationwide cooperation to bring down the birth rate from 3.5% to 2% by 2030, and called for immediate action to ensure access to clean drinking water to prevent diseases such as cancer and malnutrition.
Participating in Budget debate in National Assembly, the minister highlighted that 68 percent of diseases are waterborne and called for tackling water contamination through the installation of water treatment plants, while also expressing deep concern over the poor state of the country’s hospitals.
He warned that if population growth is not controlled by 2030, Pakistan will become one of the world’s most populous countries. He urged the federal government to involve all sectors, including scholars, in reducing the birth rate from 3.5% to 2%, emphasizing that population control is not a political, linguistic, or religious issue.
He stated that the growing population strains the economy and urged all sectors, especially the four provinces, to actively address the issue. He emphasized that population estimates must be factored into budget planning, as current growth rates undermine budget projections.
He said Pakistan ranks among the top countries globally for Hepatitis C, with diabetes and other diseases also widespread. Population growth, resource shortages, and pollution are key causes of deadly diseases like cancer in children and youth, urging provincial governments to control population growth in their regions.
Millions of children remain out of school and suffer from malnutrition, with hundreds of mothers dying annually during childbirth. He linked the increase in deadly diseases like cancer among youth to population growth, resource scarcity, and severe pollution, calling on provincial governments to act on population control.
Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Revenue Saad Waseem Sheikh said the government’s economic team deserves praise for presenting a balanced budget and expressed satisfaction with the improved economic indicators.
He emphasized the need to allocate more funds for youth empowerment and called for the repeal of the General Sales Tax (GST) on solar panels, or at least an exemption for the farming community. He expressed satisfaction with the improved economic indicators, stating that the PML-N’s legacy is to restore the economy and steer the country towards progress and prosperity. He added that the country is on the right track and a prosperous future is within reach.