Pakistan will need 8.6 million jobs, 4.6 million housing units, 3,057 additional health facilities by the year 2010 to cater to the growing population needs. A well-placed source told Business Recorder that if the current 1.9 percent population growth rate (PGR) remains consistent, the country's population would be double in 37 years.
There would be demand of 207,480 registered doctors, 72,340 health staff, 1,020 hospitals and 5,350 health units by 2010.
Current price hike and worst inflationary era has decreased the purchasing power of general masses and if the government is not able to adopt a well-co-ordinated strategy to reduce population growth rate, this issue will become a major hurdle in economic development of the country, he asserted. The country's rapid growth is one of the main impediments in the way of government's efforts of achieving the overall national development goals and sustained socio-economic growth, the source added.
Moreover, 4.2 million infants are born in the country and 1.3 million persons die annually, adding about 2.9 million persons to the population. Furthermore, if the population continues to grow at the current rate, the country would simply not be able to bring about any improvement in the well being of its population. One third of the population is residing in urban areas imposing competing demands on available infrastructure like housing, transportation, electricity, water, sewerage, sanitation, he added.
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