Yemen observes World Population Day

Al-Hodaidah, July 12. 

Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Abdulkareem Yahya Rase’e, called on Religious Scholars, University Professors, and School Teachers for their effective contributions to calling society for family planning. He also called on Members of Parliament to emphasize the necessity of understanding and endorsing Safe Motherhood Legislation which will lead to reduction of maternal mortality in Yemen. These remarks were part of his speech on the occasion of the World Population Day celebration which took place at Hodeidah governorate under the theme of: “It is a right, let’s make it real”, which focuses attention on the importance of family planning in Yemen.

 “The current trend targets strengthening the role of Population Committees in governorates and transfers population work from the central level to decentralized levels” Rase’e said. “This is according to the outcome of the last December’s National Population Conference, which has been reaffirmed by the Cabinet. Therefore, budgets for population work will be included in governorates’ budgets”, he added.

The statement made by the United Nations Population Fund “UNFPA” on this occasion called on the Yemeni government to accelerate efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger. It also called for urgent action and the allocation of more resources to improve maternal health in Yemen and to ensure universal access to reproductive health by 2015.

According to the UNFPA’s statement, Yemen has one of the highest total fertility rates in the world (over 6 births per woman). Its current population growth is around 3 percent, and the total current population of 23 million will reach, if nothing happens, 60 million in 2050. The statement adds, “The recent National Population Conference established that population issues have serious implications for all sectors of life and for the future of Yemen and its socio-economic development” and goes on to say that this recent National Conference concluded that child spacing between births and using family planning and other modern contraceptive methods helps to effectively address population issues.

 Maternal death in Yemen is one of the highest rates in the world, with 365 of every 100,000 woman dying each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. “This number could be reduced dramatically if every woman in Yemen had access to health services throughout her lifecycle, especially during pregnancy and childbirth” the UNFPA statement claimed. It added that three essential reproductive health services are vital for maternal health: skilled attendance at birth, emergency obstetric care and family planning to time and space births.

On World Population Day 2008, UNFPA pledges its commitment to support health and equal opportunity for all people in Yemen.

For more information on World Population Day 2008,  please visit:

http://www.unfpa.org/wpd/index.html

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