Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, chaired a high-level meeting to review the country’s growing population challenge and its implications for the health system and national resources.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Finance Minister Adnan Pasha Siddiqui, along with senior officials including the Secretary Health, Director General Population and Director General Health.
Participants conducted a detailed assessment of how rapid population growth is affecting healthcare delivery and overall development planning.
The minister highlighted that Pakistan’s population is increasing by approximately 6.2 million annually, placing significant pressure on healthcare, education, infrastructure and employment sectors. He noted that Pakistan is currently the fifth most populous country in the world and warned that, at the current pace, it could surpass Indonesia in population ranking within the next five years.
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, he stated that unchecked population growth is undermining sustainable development and making effective national planning increasingly difficult. He stressed the need to reduce the fertility rate from 3.6 to 2.0 and called for coordinated national efforts to address the challenge.
The minister referenced international examples, noting that countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iran have managed to control population growth through targeted strategies, resulting in improved service delivery and development outcomes. He reiterated that Pakistan must adopt similar integrated approaches with strong stakeholder collaboration.
Advisor to the Finance Minister Adnan Pasha Siddiqui assured full financial and policy support to address the issue and emphasized the importance of coordination among institutions to implement effective population management strategies.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to adopt comprehensive measures aimed at managing population growth and ensuring long-term sustainability of Pakistan’s health system and broader development framework.