Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder and Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Most people have an opinion of their government or the services it provides, but how often do they take the time to write down their views? You can help by collecting citizen report cards that provide feedback on public services by the people who use them.An individual card might not seem meaningful in itself, but a collection of hundreds or thousands of completed cards can generate new perspectives on government performance – which can then be shared with media and used by the public to bring about change.
Of late the Commission on Population and Development decided that the present theme of population control must be tempered with integrating the issue with sustainable development. The challenge is to ensure that efforts to improve the quality of life of the present generation are far-reaching, broad and inclusive but do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Accomplishing this goal hinges on the ability of the international community to ensure access to resources for growing numbers of people, eradicate poverty, move away from unsustainable patterns of consumption and production and safeguard the environment. In designing and implementing the new development agenda it is important to understand and account for the demographic changes that are likely to unfold over the next 15 years. While much remains unknown about the rate of transformation of the global economy or the speed at which technological advancements will be needed to improve efficiency and reduce humanity’s environmental footprint, the speed and direction of population change, at least in the near future, is far more predictable. The report focuses on the demographic changes that are projected to occur over the next 15 years and discuss what they imply for efforts to achieve sustainable development.
Significant progress has been made over the past 20 years in combating global poverty and health problem especially primary health. By this time life expectancy has increases in our country (Year of age). Moving forward, the central challenge in designing the post-2030 development agenda is to ensure that efforts to improve the quality of life of the present generation are far-reaching, broad and inclusive but at the same time, fashioned in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Accomplishing this goal hinges on the ability of the international community to ensure access to resources for growing numbers of people, eradicate poverty, reduce social and economic inequality and end unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, while safeguarding the environment. Stakeholders also mention safe food and food security to improve health status. What they emphasize is prevention that is better than cure. With optimal level of population growth reflected in a well-conceived family planning preventive measures would significantly contribute to sustainable health development. Prevention costs nothing but it ensures programmatic effectiveness.
Population at a reasonable level provides an opportunity for Governments to deliver such basic services as water and sanitation in a more cost-effective manner to greater numbers of people. Similarly, future population dynamics will themselves be influenced by the successes, challenges and shortcomings in the implementation of the post-2030 development agenda. Objectives of World population day 2018 are:
1. This day is celebrated to empower both, young boys and girls.
2. Educating them about reasonable and youth-friendly techniques of avoid unwanted pregnancies at a young age.
3. Ensuring the access of primary education for both girls and boys.
4. Educating people to remove gender stereotypes from the society.
5. Educating people about sexually transmitted infections and how they can be prevented.
6. Ensuring easy access to reproductive health care services to every couple.
7. Demanding certain laws for protecting the rights of a girl child.
World Population Day is to orchestrate ‘ awareness; one which tries to get people to know and learn about population issues. Population issues include things like family planning, human rights, right to health, the baby’s health, gender equality, child marriage, use of contraceptives, sex education, knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases. Reports about world population day 2018 are cited below:
The World Population Day is a United Nations’ initiative celebrated on the 11th of July every year. This day aims at spreading awareness about the exploding world population and the importance of reproductive health. World Population Day 2018 observes the theme, “Family planning is a human right.” For the first time, this day was celebrated in the year 1989. The Governing Council of the United Nations’ Development Program initiated this due to the population toll in the year 1987. It had already crossed the 5 billion mark and exploding world population had indeed become a serious cause of concern. Therefore, this day was initiated to combat the issue of growing population and raise awareness among the public about the same.World Population Day, on a vast scale, focuses on the need and importance of controlling the increasing world population. World Population Day 2018, however, focuses on the importance of family planning. The slogan, “Family planning is a human right,” for the first time, gives response to a 50-year-old legislation which states that women and girls can refuse to have multiple pregnancies placed too close, if they wanted.
It is incumbent upon the world health organization(WHO), Family planning and population control agencies to enhance concern about ‘reproductive health problems among the people.’ The problem is that ‘ a large number of pregnant women succumb to poor reproductive health. Research shows that 800 women die every day due to the process of birthing a baby. Therefore, the primary aim and importance of this day is to get more and more people to know how to boost their reproductive health pay attention on the importance of family planning.’ “Sexuality-related issues need to be addressed between 15-19 years of age. This is due to the fact that 15 million pregnancies in the world take place in women of this age group. Out of these, 4 million pregnancies end in abortion due to pregnancy complication .
1. This day is celebrated to empower both, young boys and girls.
2. Educating them about reasonable and youth-friendly techniques of avoid unwanted pregnancies at a young age.
3. Ensuring the access of primary education for both girls and boys.
4. Educating people to remove gender stereotypes from the society.
5. Educating people about sexually transmitted infections and how they can be prevented.
6. Ensuring easy access to reproductive health care services to every couple.
7. Demanding certain laws for protecting the rights of a girl child.
8. To offer knowledge about sexuality and continue delaying marriages until and unless one is able to understand the responsibilities which come along with it.
Bangladesh government and NGOs are supposed to observe World Population Day 2018 today along with the world with a call to develop nations regarding family planning and population empowerment. To cite Dhaka Tribune:
In 1989, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that July 11 be observed by the international community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.This year’s theme – “Family planning is a human right” – aims at providing safe, voluntary family planning.On the occasion, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque called upon everyone concerned to create awareness of the adolescent health and child marriage.Speaking at a press conference at the Family Planning Bhaban in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Tuesday, he said: “Our government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received MDG [Millennium Development Goal] Award in 2010 for successfully reducing maternity mortality rate.”He further said the government was committed to a new sustainable development agenda built on the principles of equity and human rights, and to achieve the target, adolescent healthcare is essential.Zahid remarked that the government had been implementing different initiatives for providing advanced education to make them efficient citizens. Elaborate programs have been chalked out by different organizations to mark the day.The major event of the day will be held at the Osmani Memorial Hall in Dhaka at 10:30am, where Parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is expected to be present as chief guest.A colourful procession will be brought out from in front of the National Museum at 8:30am to end at Osmani Memorial Hall after marching through major thoroughfares of the capital.
Are we actually concerned about reproductive health, family planning population empowerment. State intervention will continue to stand at the God that failed unless masses come forward to shun all their bad health practices and superstition. Our concern should not be limited in observing population day. For the fulfillment of eight objective of population day this year smart implementation with the involvement proactive stake holders is important. We admit ‘ the implementation of legislation that definitively stated that women and girls had the right to avoid exhaustion, danger and depletion from too many pregnancies too close together if they felt it the best route for them.’
(Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Pro-VC, BUP and Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Retired Professor, Chittagong University).
