New Delhi… 12 July 2013: Union Minister for Health & Welfare, Government of India Mr. Ghulam Nabhi Azad emphasised the need for curbing the population growth rate. He was speaking in the ‘National Dialogue on Population Stabilization for a Better Tomorrow,’ here organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India & Janasankya Sthirata Kosh (National Population Stabilization Fund), on the occasion of World Population Day. Addressing the gathering he said that, “As per 2011 census, India’s total population was 1.21 billion. As per population projection, India’s population would be 1.40 billion by 2026. With only 2.4 per cent of the entire world’s landmass to support 17 per cent of the world population, the need for population stabilisation can hardly be overemphasized.” He also emphasized the need for employing extensive media advocacy to create awareness about issues relating to population control.

Addressing the panel, Dr. Hema Divakar, President, The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), the apex body of obstetricians and gynaecologists in the country, outlined the programs initiated by FOGSI to control the burgeoning population growth rate at the meeting on Thursday. “At FOGSI, we have several result-oriented programs aimed at arresting the growth of the population. We have tied up with government agencies and NGOs in states with poor human development indices to tackle the issue both at the macro and micro levels,” she added.

FOGSI has already successfully taken up the issues through national media advocacy to tackle various topics concerning women’s health, population stabilization, and awareness issues.

In an effort to complement the efforts of the government and to also voluntarily contribute to reducing the population growth in the country, FOGSI will intensify its programs to sensitize, educate, and create awareness apart from capacity building and advocacy among the stakeholders.

FOGSI will focus on Capacity Building, Task Shifting, Advocacy & Research among stakeholders in an effort to intensify the programs. For instance, FOGSI, in association with the Public Health Foundation of India, has launched courses on “Contraception.” Similarly, in Bihar and Orissa, FOGSI is the technical partner for DFID (Department for International Development, UK), in its programs for population control.

“Our programs are placed at a functional level. For, we believe that population stabilization is possible and effective, more so through empowerment and education. Economic independence also plays an active role to an extent. That’s why the FOGSI is targeting the youths, educating them about every aspect relating to population control,” Dr. Hema Divakar said. In addition, the FOGSI has tied up with international organizations, such as Jhpiego, PSI, Population Council of India and PATH, all aimed at improving the capacity building and technology enhancement of stakeholders, which in turn will help reduce the population growth over the next two decades.