The government is mulling reducing the impact of population on distribution of funds under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, the Ministry of Health Services said on Thursday.
In recent years, several Pakistani leaders have described unchecked population growth as an “existential” threat to the country. Both Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal have made clear the country needs to enact population control to reduce pressure on natural resources. Earlier this year, Iqbal had said there is growing consensus on the need to delink the distribution of funds from the NFC Award, as the current model incentivizes provinces to support population growth.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had conveyed the government’s intent to a British High Commission delegation that sought to discuss the Government of Pakistan’s health sector priorities and align them with the United Kingdom’s support portfolio.
“Key reforms discussed included revisiting the NFC Award, suggesting that the current 80% weightage assigned to population be reduced to 50%, with 30% allocated as an incentive to provinces that successfully reverse population growth trends,” it said.
Kamal, read the statement, had also suggested launching a Behavior Change Communication campaign to educate men about population control measures. He described the country’s high fertility rate as a national issue requiring immediate attention. He also encouraged efforts to balance population growth through collaboration with stakeholders, including religious scholars and development partners.
The minister, according to the statement, highlighted Pakistan’s health challenges, including a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. He stressed the importance of shifting focus to preventive healthcare by strengthening primary health care systems to reduce the strain on tertiary care facilities.