World Population Stabilization Month

Chandigarh, 27^th June, 2016: Government of India is celebrating World Population Stabilization Month w.e.f 27^th June 2016 to 24^th July 2016. The month long activities are split into two fortnights i.e. 24^th June till 10^th July as  World Population Awareness Generation  And Mobilization Fortnight and  11^th July To 27^th  July As Service Delivery Fortnight For Family Planning .Likewise U.T . Chandigarh shall also be working on the similar pattern.  In this regard ,  a sensitization training cum meeting was held  on 24.6.2016  in District Family Welfare Bureau Sector 22., with various stakeholders   from Deptt Of Social Welfare, Education, Public Relations,  Panchayti Raj Institutions , Health Workers  , Nursing Institutions ,  GMCH  etc.  Councilors From The Municipal Corporation attended and confirmed their commitment by joining hands With Deptt of Health. All  present were apprised about their roles and responsibility   for further sensitizing the decision makers in the families to promote marriage at right age and stage , delay first child birth by two years, adopt  contraception like  copper insertion immediately after child birth or as per  informed choice  of contraception  and have appropriate  age gap between the two child births. Also that the child births be planned in a manner convenient to the families vis a vis the resources available for their upbringing, education, employment etc for a happiness in the families.  Like wise Govt of India has changed the name of the family planning programme to plan the families programme.

To help the participants understand why the plan is required to   make efforts  to  stabilize the population,  a presentation was given regarding    Total Fertility Rate as an indicator to know the  average  number of babies born to a female in her life time ;  Net Reproduction Rate  one  means  one female will  give birth to one female child ; Couple Protection Rate  as number of couples protected with contraception against unwanted pregnancies . The relation between TFR, NRR, and CPR was well explained. i.e. NNR one is achieved if CPR 60 is attained and then the population  starts stabilizing. A attaining TFR target 2. OR 1.8   will not help stabilize the population as large number of women is giving births though only 2.1 children per couple. There is likely to be a baby boom in the near future as the yet to be married   adults are huge in number  till the late age of as high as 25 to 30 years  and the adolescent population is also too high.  Further, the population growth rate is due to not only the births but more in –migration than out-migration, less deaths at higher age  , better survival rates at birth etc.  As all patients are motivated to have child births in the hospitals, the over crowding in hospitals shall be a never ending affair if we do not add more no of facilities.

Families also need to be planned as unwanted child births due to lack of contraception lead to more abortions especially unsafe abortions , complicated pregnancies, difficult deliveries and hence more new born and child deaths .

More number of children are  not a Bonus to earn but can be a disaster if there is no employment  .The unemployed youth will fall astray to drugs, mental illnesses  , stress etc  putting a pressure on the families, society and the nation.  The dependency ratio of those earning and required to be taken care of in child hood /adolescence old age / bed ridden in old age shall bring disharmony in the family. The number of widows too shall be high in old age because of better survival than the male due various diseases.

Therefore , The Chairperson  Dr Vandana Gupta , Medical Superintendent Cum Joint PMO said that it is our duty to  motivate families to participate  in awareness generation campaigns like rallies, essay writing , slogan writing , debates , counseling  and encourage   adoption of contraception especially after birth .We  must  help the couples  to  limit their family size by good counseling.  We Must Promote Non Scalpel Vasectomy (Nas Bandi For The Male). Good Counseling helps the couples to adopt the contraception faster and also continue the same under expert advice of health staff.

Awareness Generation Corners shall be set up in every health centre with provision for services especially at delivery points. The Mayor U.T. Chandigarh though got a little bit late to attend the meeting but assured all support to Health Department for mobilizing the masses. The Director Health Services, Dr. Vanita Gupta too conveyed an appeal through her message for an active participation for cause of the nation. She said that the data shows that the couples often adopt and sustain the contraception use late in age (after 30 -35 years) whereas maximum child births occur between 20 to 30 years of age . By that time a woman would under go many abortions to get rid of the unwanted baby. 

Dr Soma, The District Family Welfare Officer, said that at the current decadal growth rate of 17% Chandigarh may have a population of about seventeen lacs plus minus three lacs by 2030.  Therefore, we have to plan all our resources and infra structure accordingly. The sensitization training cum meeting ended with a vote of thanks to all present.    In addition, The World Population Day on 11^th July 2016 shall be celebrated at Civil Hospital  Manimajra, Civil hospital - 45, Civil dispensary  Hallomajra,   And Civil Dispensary Daddu Majra. Stake holders from near by areas will attend the functions.