It is a matter of great pleasure that Population Welfare Department since last decade has been commemorating "World Population Day" by planning series of activities throughout the Province up to the grass root level.
This year World Population Day is also the 10th Anniversary of International Conference on Population and Development 1994. It is also a matter of satisfaction that in pursuance of ICPD 1994 resolution, all the member countries including Pakistan have enacted laws and policies to project rights of women and girls, gender violence, excess to education, reproductive health etc.
The Government of Pakistan is fully committed with the charter of ICPD thus has taken numerous actions which have rendered positive results. As a consequence, we see that maternal mortality is on decline, there is accessibility to modem family planning methods, decline in population growth rate is noticed and awareness on HIV/AIDS is enhanced.
Inspite of several tremendous accomplishments of goal there is still need to strengthen inter sectoral collaboration in order to expend the service network at grass root level, which ultimately will help in reduction of population growth rate and poverty alleviation.
On this occasion I endorse the statement of Ms. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA given on the eve of World Population Day that "A girl born today in the developing world faces better prospects than a girl who was born ten years ago". But we must not forget that progress is uneven, and in some cases slipping backwards.
Therefore, we need the strength and determination of a marathon runner to reach out to our targets which we have set for next ten years. We must understand that we have still to do a lot to ensure socio-economic development of the communities.
I reiterate the support of Government to ICPD charter at all administrative levels. I wish the department success in all its pursuits.