World Population Day 2020

Ranjan Sharma 
Dimapur


World Population Day is one of the most important awareness days celebrated annually on July 11 every year. It was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development program in 1989 in the wake of the world’s population reached to 5 billion and hence become a serious concern about the exploding population.


At present the world’s population has been estimated to 7.8 billion. The significance of this day is to highlight the problems of overpopulation, impacts on environmental development. It also talks about the problems of health faced by child bearing women and the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights. 


The focus of this year’s World Population Day theme is based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the world during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent report by an UNFPA research highlighted that “ If the lockdown continues for 6 more months, this will led to a major disruption in health services and also 47 million women in low and middle income countries might not have access to modern contraceptives which will in turn lead to unintended pregnancies and increase the population”. 


One cannot stop the growing population but as a responsible educated citizen should imply to the family planning and stop gender-based norms as it not only increasing the population but also harming the environment. And the Government should give proper knowledge and guidance to the uneducated or village area about the awareness to control population and have a family planning to have a better living. Lastly, but not the least “The greatest threat to human existence is our own lack of ability to control our own growth”.

 

The writer is BA 3rd Semester (Economics Honours) student in Immanuel College, Dimapur.