July 11, 2020 marks an important day to raise awareness about world population and issues relating to family planning, gender equality, child marriage, human rights, right to health, and more. Communities can participate in activities that are organized on this day including seminars, discussions, educational sessions, public contests, slogans, workshops, debates, songs and kids based educational games. People who are unable to participate in seminars and discussions can learn from news channels, radio broadcasts, and podcasts.
If you haven’t heard about World Population Day, here are some facts:
- The current world population is 7.8 billion as of May 2020.
- Every year approximately 83 million people are being added to the world population.
- By 2030, the world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion, and in 2050 by 9.8 billion!
- Approximately 800 women die due to pregnancy-related complications every day, out of which 20% are from India.
- 30% of the World Population is due to unwanted and accidental pregnancies.
This year’s World Population Day theme is “Putting the breaks on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now”. The COVID-19 crisis has impacted individuals and economies all over the world. Women who make up the largest share of health care staff in the front line are being exposed to coronavirus. Supply chains across the globe are being disrupted, affecting contraceptive supply, thus causing an increased risk of unintended pregnancy. Due to lockdown in several countries, the health systems are prioritized to handle Covid-19 cases. Therefore, sexual and reproductive health services are being sidelined, and gender-based violence along with mental health issues are on the rise. What steps can you take to acknowledge this day and how can we share the information learned?
Educate yourself
First of all, research information, statistics, and facts from what the United Nations Council informs us. Read about the problems and possible solutions to them. You may not think it is affecting you right now, but it is changing the world every second, so it is important to be aware of the increase and decrease in the number of babies brought into this world and the death rate of women who suffer from pregnancy complications.
Secondly- Share what you learn with your networks! If you are posting on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #worldpopulationday for easy access to knowledge and interaction.
Thirdly- Donate to organizations dedicated to population issues. These organizations educate women about contraception and family planning, they help people fight poverty, and help settle refugees who have fled their homes because of environmental issues or abuse of human rights.
With overpopulation comes scarcity of resources like fresh water and food, resulting in starvation and malnutrition, consumption of natural resources (such as fossil fuels) faster than the rate of regeneration, and a deterioration in living conditions. In fact, It is estimated that every 20 seconds, a child dies due to poor sanitation and that 10% of the world’s population, or about 664 million people, don’t have access to sanitary water. Nevertheless, the rapid increase in the human population has worried some people, consequently bringing awareness and knowledge about this grave issue.
On 11 July, World Population Day, UNFPA aims to raise awareness about the sexual and reproductive health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls during the pandemic. Together, we must acknowledge the efforts of the organization and also help educate people about this very important day and issue.
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Sources:
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/world-population-day-1562764015-1
http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/world-population-day/
https://nationaltoday.com/world-population-day/
https://www.unfpa.org/
Blog Image Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
— Jennifer Parra
