Context:

The United Nations celebrated the 32^nd annual World Population Day on July 11th, 2024.

Key highlights:

• The theme of 2024 World Population Day is  “Leave no one behind, count everyone” highlighting the importance of inclusive data collection. 
• This is crucial to ensure everyone is included in development plans and receives essential services. 
• According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an estimated 1.6 billion people still lack basic identification documents, making them invisible in official statistics.

Historical background 

• On July 11, 1987, the population of the world reached five billion. So, Senior Demographer Dr KC Zacharian suggested that July 11th should be observed as World Population Day every year.
• Later, on 11th July 1989 United Nations observed the first World Population Day.
• This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and
  Development, whose main objective is “the recognition that women’s sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are cornerstones of sustainable development.”

World Population Trends

• The global population is now estimated to be 8.1 billion in 2024, with India being the most populous nation (1.44 billion), which is slightly more than China’s.
• The United Nations projects the world population to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100.
• Population growth has accelerated significantly in recent centuries. It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world population to grow to 1 billion, but only 200 years for it to grow sevenfold to 7 billion.

India's Focus on Family Planning:

• On the occasion of World Population Day, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare held a virtual meeting with State/UTs. 
• The theme of the event was: “Healthy timing & spacing of pregnancies for the well-being of mother and child”.
• 31 of 36 states/UTs have now reached the replacement level of Total fertility rate (TFR). Efforts are underway to bring down TFR in the remaining states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Manipur.
• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, India’s total fertility rate (TFR) decreased from 3.4 to 2 between 1992 and 2021, below the replacement level of 2.1.

Key Initiatives:

This meeting highlighted the success of "Mission Parivar Vikas" (MPV) in lowering TFR .

• MPV Launched in 2016, MPV is a key family planning program that provides a range of services, including contraceptives, counseling, and spacing methods.
• While earlier it used to be a two-phased program, it has now been expanded to three phases: preparatory phase, community participation and service delivery.
• MPV scheme has been expanded to over 340 districts from 146 districts initially.
• Modern contraceptive usage has increased substantially from 47.8% (NFHS 4) to 56.5% (NFHS-5)
• The Unmet Need for Family Planning has declined to 9.4 from 12.9 (NFHS IV) which is an encouraging achievement.

The launch of the Sugam model, a user-friendly display tool for family planning services provided by counsellors and health workers, is another positive development.

State-Level Initiatives:

• Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh highlighted their own versions of “Saas Bahu Sammelan” (the idea behind this initiative is that the Girl Child will be protected and newly born Girl Child will be nurtured) where they also involve male members of the family towards creating community awareness.
• Telangana pointed out their unique practice of “Antara Day” where they provide injectable contraceptives to couples.

What is the total fertility rate (TFR)?

TFR is a demographic metric that indicates the average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime if she were to experience the prevailing age-specific fertility rates throughout her childbearing years. In simpler terms, it tells you how many children a woman in a specific population is likely to have on average. 

• Replacement Level: A TFR of 2.1 is generally considered the replacement level fertility rate. This means, on average, a couple is having just enough children (2.1, accounting for some child mortality) to replace themselves in the next generation.
• Below Replacement Level: A TFR below 2.1 indicates a population that is not replacing itself naturally, potentially leading to population decline in the long run.
• Above Replacement Level: A TFR above 2.1 signifies population growth.