WORLD POPULATION DAY
July 11 is observed as the World Population Day by United Nations and health organizations all over the world including Accord Superspeciality Hospital, Faridabad. This day is marked to bring people’s attention towards the ever increasing population and the subsequent effect on the nature and planet in total. With the population increasing every second, something needs to be done to control the situation otherwise we will need another Earth for survival.
History
It was in 1987 that the world observed the “Five Billion Day” to acknowledge the date July 11 on which the world population reached this number. The day was established in 1989 by the United Nations Development Programme Governing Council. They were inspired by the public interest surrounding the ‘Five billion day’. The day served to highlight the increasing problems associated with overpopulation such as depletion of world resources, need for family planning, health issues of pregnant women, gender equality and maternal health.
Theme of The Year 2022
The theme this year is “A world of 8 Billion: Towards a resilient future for all- Harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all”. Efforts are being made to bring leaders and institutions from around the world together so as to make reproductive health and rights accessible to all. United Nations would be conducting several events to educate general public about the risks associated with growing population. The governments of Kenya and Denmark along with UNFPA are also planning to hold a high level conference in Nairobi to discuss how to achieve the goal of a sustainable world population.
The world reached 7 Billion in 2011 and is set to cross the 8 million mark this year. Though the increase may be attributed to several factors like extended lifespans, reduced maternal and child mortality rate, and other technological innovations, the progress is not universal. There is an extreme diversity in terms of general health, gender gaps and health accessibility of different countries. Though the numbers may claim better gender equality and health ratios, focus should be on people rather than the population numbers. Reducing people to just a few numbers strips them of their basic right as humans. Accord believes that rather than making the numbers dictate the system, the system should dictate the numbers by promoting better health and general well being.
Remember, in an ideal world 8 billion people refers to 8 billion opportunities. In a healthy society, this is empowered by rights and choices. However, this is hardly true in real time scenario. There are too many factors present in our societies that cause discrimination, violence and harassment. Accord Superspeciality Hospital believes that only through investment in human and physical capital can the societies aim to uphold reproductive and human rights. Together, we have to forge a planet where dignity, health and education are considered to be rights and realities rather than being empty promises or a privilege.
