IBA holds first conference on 'emerging demographic challenges'.

The Population Research Centre (PRC), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi hosted its first research conference, in collaboration with the School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS), IBA in Karachi, last Monday.

The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to a common platform to discuss Pakistan's population problems and consider their solutions in the light of emerging contexts.

The inaugural session was presided over by the First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi. The Keynote speaker was Dr. Sameen Siddiqi, Professor and Chair Department of Community Health Sciences AKUH. Dr.

Siddiqi talked about the implications of population growth on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), part of SDG-3 and to be achieved by year 2030.

The first panel discussion was titled 'The Challenges of Fertility Planning in Pakistan: An Exploration of Societal, Cultural, and Policy Perspectives'. The panelists included, Dr. Saman Naz, Public Health scientist; Dr. Saima Bashir, Joint Secretary Population Association of Pakistan; and Dr. Rafi Amir ud-din, Associate Professor COMSATS University Islamabad. The session was moderated by Dr. Lubna Naz, Associate Professor, IBA. The discussion focused on the various challenges that Pakistani individuals and couples face when it comes to planning their fertility. The panelists explored the societal and cultural pressures that influence fertility decisions, as well as the policy and infrastructure barriers that exist.

The technical sessions included various presentations from researchers and scholars representing institutes from all over...