Godwin AJOM, Calabar
As the world population hits eight billion people, health experts in Cross River state have called for effective family planning measures.
The call is coming as experts have attributed the spike in hardship, criminality, insecurity and unemployment to the increase in world population. The world’s population recently increased from the over seven billion people in 2021, to eight billion people in 2022 and has caused a lot of concerns from stakeholders.
Speaking on the alternative to the eminent backdrops of the global population increase, the Director of Public Health, Cross River state, Dr Jonah Bassey Offor explained that, “it is interesting to note that last week, the world’s population rose up to eight billion people.
“Within a period of two years, the population has skipped upwards. So you ask yourself, how is the world going to cope with these large population? Presently, we have a lot of issues as far as population increase is concerned.
“The resources to take care of the rising population is a big challenge, so it behoves on us, and the international community, to think of how we will control these population increase. And the only effective way we can do that is through an effective family planning method.”
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Accordingly, the Cross River State coordinator, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Salisu Ibrahim, reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring a sustainable family planning policy drive in Cross River. Dr Juliet Ubom who spoke on his behalf assures that, “We reaffirm our commitment to ensure quality family planning activities. We are also into field supervision and technical support.
“Our hands are on deck to support the state in this regard, we have seen the gaps in the field and we will share our experience as the days go by. We thank the implementing partners and the technical working group for their dedication and for coming through”.
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Commenting on the alternative to population control in the light of the increased world population, the United Nations population Fund (UNFPA)’s representative, Mr Emmanuel Emesonum, assured that, “Family planning is in the heart of UNFPA.” He said the organisation will, “continue to support the implementing partners in family planning service delivery in Cross River”. He insisted that the organisation expects nothing less than standard services.
