Singer and activist Shehzad Roy is known for voicing social issues in Pakistan. This time around, his appointment as Honorary Ambassador for Population and Family Planning by the Ministry of Health, Regulation and Coordination has made the news.
Among others, actor Adnan Malik also praised the singer of Mukhra. Drawing inspiration from her Instagram stories, the Cake star called overpopulation one of Pakistan’s “greatest existential problems”. “If the population of Pakistan had been less than 100 million, it would have been a different story for us. Population explosion is the root of so many of our problems,” he posted expressing his concern about this.
Support the Maula Vey crooner, Malik wished him luck in serving his best in the given capacity. “Shehzad Roy, I wish you the best in this capacity,” Malik said of the singer’s new role. “[Population growth] is really one of our biggest existential problems. [I] support you 100%,” he added.
Pakistan, with 220 million inhabitants in 2021, holds the title of fifth largest population in the world. Of the 14 largest, Pakistan, with a population growth rate of 2% per year, has the third highest growth rate. Given the quality of education and the lack of available family planning resources due to societal taboos on contraceptives and abortions, the national fertility rate is 3.6%, leaving many unplanned births to manage .
Although it is a national concern, it also affects public health badly. Research shows that close and untimely births negatively affect the health of both mother and child. It is hoped that Roy was chosen to save the alarming situation.
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