ASSAM: WORLD POPULATION DAY OBSERVED IN HAILAKANDI

11 July 2018:

World Population Day 2018 was observed in Southern Assam’s Hailakandi district today.

Rallies were brought out to create awareness at the district and block levels. Flagging off the awareness rally, Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan said the United Nations Population Fund wants to underscore urgent issues facing the international community as it marks the World Population Day.

Mobilisation to raise the level of awareness on birth control coupled with health related issues and services are being organised at the Block Public Health Centres, Community Health Centre, District Hospital and the activities will continue till July 27.

District Media Expert, Monika Das said that awareness is being created through rallies at block PHC level, saas-bahu sammelan at sub-centre level, distribution of leaflets, splashing of posters and banners and conducting IPC through ASHAs, ANMs and other health functionaries. Along with that laparoscopic sterilisation for female and no scalpel vasectomy for male, besides contraceptives are available right from the block PHCs to district hospital.

July 11 was established as World Population Day in 1989 by the United Nations and since then it has been celebrated on this date every year. The United Nations recognises World Population Day as an important event to spread information of population-related issues across the globe.

This year’s theme - ‘Family planning is a human right’ - aims at providing safe, voluntary family planning.

2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1968 International Conference on Human Rights, where family planning was, for the first time, globally affirmed to be a human right.

Almost on the verge of completing three decades now, the internationally celebrated event aims to spread awareness on issues such as overpopulation, under-population and birth control. The world population is currently pegged at around 7.5 billion, and census experts predict that by 2030 that number will rise to 8.6 billion – roughly adding 83 million people every year to the planet.