QUETTA   -  Balochistan government appoints 150 religious leaders including 290 family welfare workers in order to create awareness regarding family planning and to make the delivery service smooth at the union council level. “Due to the province’s scattered population, the Population Welfare Department is integrating services with the health sector to improve outreach. The Population Welfare Department has limited resources to expand FP/RH services in rural areas, but it is working closely with the Balochistan Human Capital Investment Program (BHCIP), WHO, and UNFPA to provide services,” said Abdullah Khan, Balochistan Secretary Population Welfare Department. The rapid population growth increases challenges for the province. Balochistan accounts for 43 percent of Pakistan’s land area and faces significant challenges, including providing health and education to children, developing infrastructure, creating job opportunities, addressing poverty, distributing resources across districts, and equipping the youth with technical skills to contribute to Balochistan’s development. The latest census data for Balochistan, released in 2023, reveals a substantial population growth, raising the population from 12.34 million in 2017 to 19.26 million in 2023. This represents the highest growth rate among all provinces in Pakistan. Balochistan’s annual population growth rate stands at 3.2 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 2.55 percent. Talking to media, Secretary Population Welfare, Government of Balochistan Abdullah Khan said implementing population-related policies in Balochistan can be particularly challenging due to several cultural and societal norms, such as cultural traditions that emphasise large families, socioeconomic factors, and healthcare access policies. The views of local leaders and influencers can impact the acceptance of population policies. Referring to Balochistan government stance on rapid population growth, the secretary said Balochistan prefers the term ‘balance’ rather than ‘control’ when addressing the rapid population growth. “The Population Welfare Department has committed in FP2030 to increasing the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) to 36 percent by 2025 and 46 percent by 2030,” he said, adding that service integration with the health department is another strategy to manage population growth by engaging health professionals and healthcare providers.  He said awareness campaigns are also being conducted in all districts to educate the public about the issue of overpopulation. Improving maternal and child healthcare can help reduce fertility rates, as better access to prenatal and postnatal care may encourage families to have fewer children. It may be recalled that the current maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Balochistan remains significantly higher than the national average, with estimates indicating around 298 deaths per 100,000 live births, although specific provincial data might vary. The infant mortality rate (IMR) is similarly high, with approximately 60–70 deaths per 1,000 live births.