Urgent Appeal: Mustafa Kamal Warns of Health Crisis Without Population Control & Clean Water Access

Mustafa Kamal population control clean water has become a pressing focus in Pakistan’s national policy debate. On Thursday, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal delivered a sobering message to the National Assembly: if Pakistan fails to reduce its birth rate from 3.5% to 2% by 2030, and doesn’t secure access to clean drinking water, the nation risks a severe health and economic collapse.

Mustafa Kamal’s Bold Statement in Parliament

During the ongoing budget debate, Minister Kamal did not mince words. Addressing lawmakers, he said:

“Population control is not a political, religious, or ethnic matter. It is a matter of survival.”

He emphasized that 68% of diseases in Pakistan are waterborne and largely preventable. He also highlighted the urgent need to install water treatment plants, improve public hospitals, and involve all sectors of society, including religious scholars, in controlling population growth.

A Crisis in the Making: Why the Birth Rate Must Be Cut

Pakistan’s population currently grows at 3.5% per year, which Kamal warned will push the country into the list of most populous nations globally by 2030 if unchecked. The strain on resources, health services, and education is already evident:

• Millions of children are out of school.
• Hundreds of mothers die during childbirth annually.
• Cancer, malnutrition, and diabetes are rapidly increasing among youth.

Kamal pointed out that population estimates are rarely factored into budget planning, making financial forecasting unrealistic and ineffective. This gap contributes to underfunded public services and unreliable development outcomes.

Clean Water: A Silent Health Emergency

One of Kamal’s most urgent concerns was the lack of clean drinking water. Pakistan suffers from severe water contamination, leading to widespread diseases such as:

• Cancer in children
• Hepatitis C (among top global rankings)
• Waterborne infections

He proposed a nationwide campaign to install water filtration systems, improve rural water access, and integrate water safety in public health policy.

“Without clean water, we are only treating symptoms, not solving the root of the health crisis,” he stressed.

Did You Know?
According to UNICEF, 70% of households in Pakistan drink bacterially contaminated water.

The Link Between Overpopulation, Disease & Budget Strain

The interconnectedness of population growth, disease prevalence, and economic pressure formed the core of Kamal’s argument. He stated:

• Overpopulation fuels resource scarcity and pollution.
• Lack of planning leads to under-equipped hospitals and high infant mortality.
• Poor health infrastructure further weakens economic productivity.

Kamal urged all four provinces to initiate population control policies, implement family planning awareness programs, and support local health departments in rolling out water treatment solutions.

Policy Recommendations and Way Forward

To achieve his target of 2% birth rate by 2030, Kamal recommended:

1. Inclusion of population data in national budgets
2. Religious scholar engagement for community-level awareness
3. Free family planning services and contraceptive distribution
4. Water filtration systems in urban and rural public areas
5. Federal and provincial coordination for health outreach

Internal Link: Read how Pakistan’s provinces are tackling climate-related health risks

Youth Empowerment & Economic Indicators

Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Saad Waseem Sheikh, while supporting Kamal’s remarks, focused on the positive strides in economic indicators and youth policies. He praised the federal budget as balanced and urged:

• Repealing GST on solar panels, or at least exempting the farming community
• Allocating more funds for youth empowerment
• Ensuring that economic recovery supports social development

He emphasized that Pakistan is on the right track, but must pair economic recovery with population and health reforms to ensure sustainable growth.

Conclusion: The Time to Act is Now

The warnings issued by Mustafa Kamal are not just policy recommendations — they are a call for survival. The combination of unchecked population growth and lack of clean water presents a dual threat to Pakistan’s future.

References

• UNICEF Pakistan – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
• World Health Organization – Hepatitis in Pakistan
• Population Council Pakistan