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A role for private sector in population control

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Experts participating in a seminar on "Public-private partnership for population stabilisation'' here over the weekend called for involvement of industrial houses, cooperative sector, private health sector, non-Government organisations and practitioners of indigenous medicine systems in the drive for population control.

The seminar was organised by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the Forum for Population Action to highlight the significance of evolving a framework in partnership with the private sector for population stabilisation through innovative reproductive health programmes, social marketing of contraceptives and strengthening of health care delivery system.

The National Adviser on Population Stabilisation, T.V. Antony -- who was specially invited to the seminar -- underlined the need for making population a popular subject drawing attention of people at all levels.

"Unless an intensive strategy is implemented in Rajasthan, the State's population will cross 9 crores in 2020,'' he said.

Devendra Kothari of the Forum for Population Action said though Rajasthan had registered a decline in the birth and infant mortality rates during the past year, wide-ranging efforts were needed to achieve replacement level fertility by 2011. He felt that involving the private sector could help improve the performance of public health facilities.

While the State Medical and Health Minister, Digambar Singh, affirmed that the decline in infant mortality rate was the outcome of an effective monitoring and expansion of medical services, Industries Minister Narpat Singh Rajvi said factors such as age of marriage, women's education and human resource development should be taken care of to control the population growth.

M.L. Mehta, president of the Forum for Population Action, favoured the adoption of a multi-dimensional approach to the population issues and said the steps such as generating demand for spacing methods, improving maternal and child care services and social mobilisation would create a congenial atmosphere for the small family norm.

NRHM Director Shubhra Singh said the Government would ensure the coverage of men constituting at least 10 per cent of the target for sterilisation this year.

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