With an average annual growth rate of 2.41 percent in Sindh, the total current population is 56.3 million (2022), estimated to grow to 95.7 million by 2050. 3,000 maternal deaths occur annually due to insufficient health coverage, which can be reduced by 33 percent if contraceptive use rises from 31 percent to 49 percent.
Total fertility rate in Sindh is 3,6 and high fertility contributes to infant mortality and malnutrition. As a result, 60 infants die before reaching one year of age (per 1000 live births) and 50 percent of children under the age of five are stunted in Sindh.
Currently, more than half of the girls at 51 percent (age 5-16), are out of school in Sindh, together with 39 percent of boys. Without investment in family planning, women’s empowerment and education it will be challenging to accommodate the growing population.
These findings were shared at the Consultative Workshop on Voluntary National Survey and International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held on Thursday, 25th May in Karachi by the Federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The consultation aimed to assess the progress made at the provincial level in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action.
The consultation highlighted the significant strides made in advancing reproductive health, promoting gender equality, and empowering women and girls in Sindh Province. It also recognized the critical role of comprehensive sexuality education, access to quality healthcare services, and the elimination of gender-based violence in achieving sustainable development goals.
Participants of the consultative meeting held different sessions to discuss the issues, challenges, and ways forward to accelerate progress on women and youth empowerment, reproductive health and reproductive rights, population and sustainable development, education, food security, climate change, urbanization and internal migration, etc.
“The consultations are facilitating diverse views on human rights, population, sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and sustainable development. These will be merged into a remarkable consensus that places individual dignity and human rights, including the right to plan one’s family, at the very heart of development,” said UNFPA head of office in Sindh Ms. Ms. Bayramgul Garabayeva.
The ICPD Progress Review Consultation brought together key stakeholders from various sectors, including government officials, civil society organizations, academia, and development partners, representatives of Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI), UNFPA, Planning and Development Department, Population Welfare Department, Health Department Government of Sindh.
Participants engaged in fruitful discussions, sharing valuable insights, and reviewing the achievements, challenges, and opportunities related to the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in Sindh Province.
Going forward, a sustained multi-sectoral approach with full political ownership and effective governance is crucial to advance the agenda. Mr Qasim Soomro, Sindh Parliamentary Health Secretary, said that making population policy implementation a national priority and an overarching framework is important for Pakistan’s sustainable development.
