Union Minister Appeals to NGOs for dedicating one month every year towards the cause of Population Stabilisation

Newdelhi:11/7/19:“Let us work towards not losing any pregnant woman and child to preventable causes”. This was stated by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare atthe inauguration of National Workshop on International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)@ 25 years – Leveraging Partnerships’ on the occasion of World Population Day 2019 that also marks the 25 years since the landmark ICPD held at Cairo in 1994, here today.

Highlighting the importance of the World Population Day, Dr Harsh Vardhan further said that population stabilisation is a crucial determinant of quality of life and achievement of universal health coverage goals. “We need to position health as a component of all public policies. The occasion also provides a valuable and potent platform to discuss issues related to gender equality, maternal and child health, human rights, poverty and other development determinants”, he added.

In his address, Dr Harsh Vardhan appealed to the NGOs and civil society organisations to devoteatleast one month every year towards the cause of population stabilisation.“Bringing an end to preventable child and maternal deaths, improving the health of our mothers and children cannot be achieved by working alone.  Governments, development partners, civil society, private and corporate sector, community leaders and the media, all have critical roles to play if we have to engineer the social change needed to achieve these goals,” he said.

Speaking at the function, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare stressed on the need for generating awareness about family planning and population stabilisation. He stated that population and health form the crux of the development process of any nation and Family Planning acts as a very crucial determinant. “The perks of family planning are not just limited to population stabilisation; rather it is one of the major contributors in ensuring good health for women, families and communities,” Shri Choubey said.

The World Population Day 2019 marks 25 years since the landmark International Conference on Population & Development (ICPD), held at Cairo in 1994. This event marked a paradigm shift from earlier policies to one that places the individual at the centre, and respects choice, rights and empowerment. The 25th anniversary of the ICPD is an opportune moment for the global community to reflect on the progress made in advancing the agenda of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and address the remaining challenges.

Also present at the function were Dr.SVenkatesh, Director General of Health Services, Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, AS & DG (CGHS),AS (Health), Shri Manoj Jhalani, Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), and Dr. Manohar Agnani, Joint Secretaryalong with other senior officers of the Ministry and representatives of development partners.