I received some valuable feedback from readers on my earlier blog titled, Give youth a chance. Therefore, I am now revising and expanding the blog and have added a few more sections to clarify my point of view. So please keep those comments/feedback coming.
The health, education and employment statistics of Pakistan in general and NWFP province in particular are nothing short of a disaster. These numbers are further worsened by the influx of millions of Afghan refugees who have made the NWFP province their home for the past three decades or so.
NWFP or North West Frontier Province is the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan, which has a population of about 20 million people and covers an area of 75,000 square kilometers. It borders Afghanistan to the west, Punjab and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan to the south and Azad Kashmir to the east. It also encompasses Federally Administered Tribal Areas, FATA as an autonomous region within NWFP. The current war on terror waged by the coalition forces in the neighboring Afghanistan, usually spills into this province as well. At the time of writing of this blog, Pakistan armed forces were busy pursuing Talibans within the FATA and Swat district of NWFP in a heavy military campaign.
Table 1: Pakistan Health Indicators (Source United Nations)
Pakistan’s health infrastructure is also poor, especially in rural areas. Almost 30% of children under the age of five are malnourished. There are approximately 70 physicians for every 100,000 people in the country and a mere 1,000 government run hospitals to cater to the entire population. It is no wonder that 70% of the population of Pakistan (WHO statistic) never gets to see a doctor in their entire life. For a country of 160 Million people, that is a gigantic population (almost 110 million) without access to basic healthcare.
Table 2: Population Statistics of Pakistan & NWFP (Source Government of Pakistan)
The north of the Pakistan suffers from heavy unemployment as well. Major source of jobs in NWFP includes agriculture, mining of precious stones, granite/marble quarries, and government jobs. Other than these, there are hardly any sustainable job opportunities for the youth. The industrialization and economic uplift that we get to see in major metropolitan cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad is totally non-existent here. In other words, the economic boom (that has griped the urban centers of the country) has had little impact on the rural communities.
Table 3: Education Statistics of Pakistan & NWFP population in percentage (Source: Govt of Pakistan)
The government school system in the rural areas has also not grown over the years. In fact, it is straining under the pressure of over population (the population has doubled since 1981 census from 80million to 160millon today). Almost 47% of the population of NWFP is under the age of 15 that is a staggering 8 million children (Source Govt of Pakistan). The private schools are too expensive and therefore the local communities can hardly afford to send their children to such institutions. With the result, an uneducated population grows up that has no real prospect of securing jobs even in the more competitive bigger cities. Those who still want to get an education then prefer to enroll in the local religious schools called, Madrassas, which offer free room and board as well as their brand of religious philosophy.
With no employment, no healthcare and no prospects of a better life, many of the talented, prefer to emigrate or work abroad especially in the Middle East. They spend years toiling in the heat of the desert without seeing their families for years while sending back precious dinars/dollars so that their kids could one day have a better life. But not all are lucky to find a job locally or go abroad. Those with no sustained income usually end up being pulled into the lucrative illegal drug trafficking between the Afghanistan and Pakistan border areas. Or as it is now commonly happening, become members of some radical religious organization, including Talibans.
These youths are victim of their environment and society. If we want them to succeed and give up drug trade and put down their AK-47s and suicide bombings then we need to give them what is their basic right as a human being. Namely, a chance for a better education, improved health care and ability to become entrepreneurs (or have secure jobs). No amount of carpet bombing or military actions can stop them from becoming radical. But a book, a job and better health can transform them and their families forever.
I only became aware of this appalling situation once we had started establishing a free hospital in NWFP province under UM Healthcare Trust in the outskirts of Mardan District (near the Swat Valley). As we meet and interact more with the local community, it becomes only clear that war is not the solution to all the problems. Edhi Foundation, Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute, The Citizen's Foundation and many other such non-profits believe that the world can be a better place if we just give youth a chance and give them an opportunity to make something of themselves. Sadly, this logic and insight is lost on the current leaders of the world who are bent upon changing the world with their might, bombs and cruise missiles. Their philosophy of “smoking” the enemy out has not been successful in making the world a better and safer place and is not likely to have any sustained impact either. Only education, health and entrepreneurship can make the difference.
Therefore, I request all to write to their Members of Parliament, Senators, Congressmen, your MNAs and MPAs and ask them that they have done enough to wage war on the world, now what are they doing to bring peace to the society.
This is yet another positive step towards the realization of extending affordable healthcare to the rural and needy population of Mardan District using ICT.
