Why world population day is important.
July 11, marks World Population Day. But do we really need a day to raise awareness of the world’s population? The simple answer is YES.
The question we should be asking is why the population is growing so fast?
Sure, advances in health care and technology have contributed by reducing death rates, but unintended pregnancies have led to a population explosion in many developing countries.
In high-income countries, use of contraception has become accepted practice. In fact births rates are actually declining in many high-income countries. By contrast, 222 million women in developing countries want to prevent pregnancy, but just don’t have access modern contraception.
This lack of family planning is a serious issue. Reproductive health problems are the leading cause of ill health and death for girls of childbearing age worldwide. 16 million girls younger than 18 years of age give birth each year and another 3.2 million have unsafe abortions. These pregnancies are often the result of discrimination, human rights violations, poor education, or sexual coercion.
The frustrating thing is that millions of these unintended pregnancies and associated health problems could be avoided if the right education and contraception was made available.
Few teens are prepared for emotional, physical, and financial demands of parenthood. So we asked our readers how they felt about having children:
“I have had a pregnancy scare with a previous partner and we were both rather young with no jobs and were afraid what our parents would think, and discussed abortion. Thankfully we didn’t have to do anything that drastic as she was not pregnant.” (Michael, 21, London)
“I think children are a massive responsibility and I guess contraception allows people to decide when they are ready to have a baby.” (Nura, 20, UK)
“Kids are blessings from God and kids are the best Gift a couple can ever receive in life.” (Courtney, 20, Jamaica)
“The best time to have kids is when you’ve almost accomplished your goals, like in your 30s, when you’re working and can maintain a family.” (Charu, India)
To find out more, and how you can help visit the official site.
How do you feel about contraception and having children?