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Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal made a striking comparison on Monday, saying that Pakistan’s population is increasing every year by the equivalent of New Zealand’s total population.
Speaking at the launch of a new licensing and registration system for medical equipment in Islamabad, he noted that Pakistan’s annual population growth rate stands at 3.6%, which amounts to around 5.2 million people annually—roughly the entire population of New Zealand, which is 5.223 million.
Pakistan’s current population is estimated at 247.5 million, making population growth one of the country’s most pressing challenges.
Mustafa Kamal said the Prime Minister has formed a high-level committee to address population growth and improve public health systems through integrated patient care systems. “We are launching a system where every patient can be tracked and treated efficiently,” he said.
The health minister also announced the end of the recommendation culture in the regularization of medical equipment, stating that registration processes have been streamlined and made transparent.
He added that 68% of diseases in Pakistan are due to contaminated water, and emphasized the need for preventive healthcare. “We want to stop people from becoming patients instead of treating them after the fact,” he said, expressing sorrow over conditions in children’s cancer wards and long hospital waits.
“The Prime Minister is committed and experienced—he has been a Chief Minister before and understands governance,” Kamal added, assuring that systematic reforms are underway in the health sector.
