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Health personnel of Kohima district at the World Population Day programme in the CMO’s office, in Kohima.[/caption]
In Kohima, the district’s health establishment observed the day with the slogan “take responsibility towards family planning – Prepare for the wellbeing of mother and child.” The district’s CMO establishment issued a press release on Thursday offering updates.
According to the press release, advocacy and educational campaigns will be carried out in all the blocks and villages in Kohima district. The programmes will include exhibition of family planning methods—contraceptives and other spacing methods; advocacy concerning “need for delay” in marriage and first child birth, counselling of clients on “the basket of choices” and promoting among eligible couples family planning services, the press release stated.
“During the ongoing advocacy, the following messages should reach the people as part of awareness generation: delaying age at marriage, healthy spacing at birth, post partum family planning, male participation in family planning, post abortion family planning,” the press release stated.
Further, establishment stated that information and educational activities concerning interpersonal communication will be undertaken in selected health units. The itinerary will include distribution of pamphlets, leaflets and putting up of banners and posters at prominent places in line with the New Family Planning Media Campaign, the press release stated.
In his address, CMO Dr. Laso Lazar emphasised on the importance of observing World Population Stabilization Fortnight by mobilizing and carrying out intensive publicity to ‘reach maximal target.’
Health provider should be accountable and prompt in carrying out the activities, the press release quoted him as having said at the event.
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In Kiphire, the district’s health establishment stated to have observed the Day to “increase people’s awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and Human Rights.”
A press release from the health office informed that a programme marking the Day was conducted with the extra additional commissioner (EAC) of Kiphire, Chumben Murry, attending as the special invitee for the event.
In his speech at the programme, Murry spoke about the “ill effects caused by over population,” the press release stated. The officer was stated to have lamented that the common people have ‘negative perceptions about family planning methods due to ignorance and less knowledge on contraceptives methods.’
Murry urged the gathering to avail family planning services that are being provided for free by the health department in all the district units. He said there has been failure in implementing such programmes “due to resistant attitude to all kinds of programmes initiated by government,” the press release explained.
Further, the EAC was stated to have said that unchecked population will be a threat to sustainability and the citizens’ socio-economic life. He urged the people of the district to avail family planning services “in order to sustain and avoid unwanted raise in population to maintain sustainability and happy living,” the updates stated.
District Programme Officer Dr. K Pewezo Khalo also also spoke at the programme. In his keynote address, the medical officer spoke about the introduction of World Population Day, its importance and significance, the updates stated.
The objective of observing World Population Day is to find solutions and take preventives step to fight population explosion, Khalo said.
“In order to live quality life, population has to be controlled,” he lamented. The officer urged the people of the district to avail family planning services, the updates added.
The Mokokchung health establishment also conducted a similar programme on World Population Day.
A press release that was issued to the media on Thursday stated that the chief guest for the event was Rohit Singh, assistant commissioner. In his address, he said the objective behind observing World Population Day is to “spread awareness about the issues of the global population and the importance of reproduction health.”
Population issues include family planning, gender equality, child marriage, Human Rights, Child Rights etc, Singh said. That is why it is important to understand the need for population control, he said.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kibangkumba, no surname given, delivered the keynote address. He said the Day is observed to educate people “where one can try to understand the population issues,” the press release explained. It is to work toward solving the problems that a growing population can bring; it is to educate the public, he said.
A brief report about World Population Day and Stabilization Fortnight was delivered by Dr Ayangla Saku, the updates added.
In Mon district too, a similar programme was conducted in the Mon district hospital.
The government’s publicity agency, the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR), gave updates on Thursday about the programme.
The subdivision officer (civil) Chumlamo Humtsoe was the “special guest” for the event. Acording to the updates, the officer requested the community and district’s stakeholders to disseminate the importance of family planning and to take responsibility for family planning advocacy.
‘India has a huge population and family planning is the need of the hour. Prepare for the wellbeing of mother and child and family planning in the district,’ he said. The officer assured that the district’s administration was ‘in full support on health, poverty and education,’ the press release added.
Also, medical officer Dr. Aman Konyak spoke on the topic ‘Take responsibility towards family planning; prepare for the wellbeing of mother and child,’ the IPR stated. Observing World Population Day is to educate the people on family planning and gender equality and to stabilize the world population, he told the gathering.
Further, Konyak spoke on the negative impact and consequence of overpopulation, the updates stated. The impact of it includes exploitation of natural resources, urbanization, industrialization, air and water pollution, deforestation, unemployment and crime the gathering was told.
“It is everybody responsibility in order to protect for the future generation,” he added.
Another medical officer Dr. Aman, no surname given in the IPR report, “focussed on the importance of family planning such as availability, accessibility, quality, decision making and participation,” the updates stated. He spoke about various family planning methods too, the IPR stated.
A health officer, Dr. Shasinle Tep also spoke about family planning schemes and services. He said the government is giving incentives to eligible couples who come for family planning, apart from other free services. She requested the gathering to avail the facilities, the IPR stated.
‘Mother and child health is very important and for this spacing of child birth must be maintain. Advising the gathering, family planning is not only for female but also for male counterpart and for this she requested both the partners should take equal responsibility for family planning,’ she added.
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In Peren, members of the Puidi Ma and Jalukie Town Women Welfare Organizations, and HCMC members attended the World Population Day programme, a press release from the Peren CMO’s establishment stated.
Delivering the keynote address was Dr. M Nukshisangla Jamir. She talked about the importance of the event.
‘It was started by the United Nations Governing Council of the United Nations Development Program to encourage events, activities and to spread information to make the right to population control a reality across the world,’ she said. ‘Since 1989, 11th July every year is celebrated as the WPD globally.’
Jamir highlighted the objectives of the event: Protecting and empowering youths; impart knowledge on sexuality; promote delaying the age of marriage till a responsible age is attained; educate youths in avoiding unwanted pregnancies; removing gender stereotypes; educate people on pregnancy related illnesses and dangers of childbirths at an early age; educate them on STIs, RTIs, HIV/AIDS; and demand effective laws and policy implementation to protect the rights of the girl child; and give access to universal primary education for all children and as a public health approach to access reproductive health services at all health facilities, among other goals.
The additional deputy commissioner of Jalukie, Tinu Jongshi, also spoke at the programme. He said stakeholders’ participation and cooperation is important for disseminating information, the IPR stated. He suggested for more ‘community, stakeholders’ participants in the future,’ the updates stated.
According to the IPR, Jongshi said it is high time for people to take responsibility in making people learn more about population stabilization.
In Phek, the district’s Deputy Commissioner Sachin Jaiswal addressed the programme. A press release from the Phek health establishment said that the administrator spoke about the rising concerns about population growth not only in the metropolitan cities but in the rural areas too.
In Wokha, a programme marking World Population Day and Population Stabilization Fortnight was conducted in the CMO’s conference hall, the IPR informed.
The programme was organized by the District Health Society.
Delivering the keynote address for the event, the deputy chief medical officer of Wokha, Dr. Zuben Kikon, said that on July 11 1968 family planning was affirmed as Human Right.
“Raising awareness and educating the rural populace and under- privileged people about the disadvantages of having large family and rise of population issue is very important because massive population leads to unemployment, poverty and many other problems,” the officer stated.
Further, Kikon attributed ignorance, poverty and illiteracy as some of the causes that lead to increase in population and ‘population exploitation.’ He said spreading awareness about family planning among the community is important to controlling population, the IPR stated.
During the Fortnight, the IPR added, free services like family planning methods including oral contraceptive pills, condoms, ECP, and free counselling services on family planning methods, will be available at the district hospital and other health units.
The medical officer urged the public to avail the services, the IPR added.
