World Population Day - How To Control Growing Population?

In 1989, the United Nations announced July 11 as World Population Day and since then, it is being celebrated annually with an objective to spread awareness about various issues related to the population across the world.

Significance of the Day

With the population of India growing exponentially, and reproductive health issues becoming a major cause of death and ill health for the community people, the UN Council aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of people from all over the world on issues like family planning and population control through the World

Population Day campaign

An estimated 1.8 billion youngsters are entering the reproductive years, and it is essential to direct their attention towards the crucial aspect of reproductive health and hygiene. Through the annual campaign – World Population Day – people from all walks of life, particularly youngsters are encouraged to participate and learn more about the urgency of family planning, gender equality, sex education, safety measures like condoms and use of contraceptives, adolescent pregnancy, reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, and so on.

Proper knowledge on sex-related issues is very important, especially among the youth – aged between 15 and 19 years. Statistics show that each year, approximately 15 million women in this age group give birth and about 4 million are forced to undergo an abortion.

Objectives of Celebrating World Population Day

The objectives of World Population Day celebrations are as follows –

• To empower and protect the youth

• To educate people about delayed marriage and sex till the time they are able to take on the responsibility

• To educate the youth on how to avoid/prevent unwanted pregnancies with proper measures

• To educate and encourage people to break free from gender stereotypes

• To impart proper knowledge on illnesses related to pregnancy, and to make people aware of the potential risks of early childbirth

• To educate people about sexually transmitted disorders in order to avoid getting infected

• To provide access to basic education for both boys and girls

• To provide all couples easy access to reproductive healthcare services all across the globe

• To implement effective policies and laws to protect girl child rights

World Population Day is celebrated internationally by arranging a wide variety of events and activities to draw people’s attention to the issue of population growth.

However, simply calling for attention does not fix the problem. Immediate action is needed to control the growing population and curb its ill effects. This involves better education, family planning awareness, safe sex techniques, and use of birth control pills. With the Government taking necessary steps, it looks like we are making progress towards addressing the problem of overpopulation.