New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Planned parenthood is essential for achieving healthy outcomes in maternal and child health, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Population Day on Friday.

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11. This year’s theme is “Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy for the Health and Well-being of Mother and Child.

“World Population Day serves as a platform to raise awareness about family planning and renew our commitment to addressing population-related challenges,” Nadda said in a post on social media platform X.

“This year’s theme highlights the importance of planned parenthood for healthy outcomes for maternal and child health,” he added.

Nadda also stressed this year’s slogan: “माँ बनने की उम्र वही, जब तन और मन की तैयारी सही”, loosely translated as the “right age to become a mother is when the mind and the body is ready”.

The Union Health Minister said the slogan “emphasises the importance of informed and empowered decisions for parenthood with physical and emotional preparedness”.

He added that “public health facilities including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Central Government is delivering essential family planning services across the nation”.

These centres are “empowering families and paving the way for a healthier India,” Nadda said.

India is home to over 1.46 billion people, making it the world’s most populous country, after China.

Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, of the Population Foundation of India, told IANS that the conversation must shift from numbers to women’s empowerment.

“India’s population story is not one of crisis, but of possibility, if we invest in women, young people, and address the needs of our growing elderly population,” Muttreja said.

Pointing out the declining fertility rate, Muttreja said the “focus must be on quality healthcare, education, skilling, and job creation. True development and economic growth doesn’t come from forcibly influencing reproductive decisions, but from empowering individuals especially women to make informed choices about their bodies and lives”.

She urged the need for shared responsibility, gender equality, and reproductive autonomy while making policies and programmes.

–IANS

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