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KATHMANDU, Dec 3:The 25th series of the State of the World Population Report 2002 suggests that social investments help reach the goal of slower population growth rate. Whilst in least-developed countries like Nepal, the UN report has urged that investing in women help countries get richer.
J Bill Musoke, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative for Nepal stated that for Nepal, social investment generally means investing in women, who in other words define the Nepali social structure. Citing lack of investment in women, he said, “These social investments attack poverty directly and empower individuals, especially women, which is what Nepal exactly has to do to climb the development ladder”.
Presenting the demographic facts of Nepal prepared by the UNFPA Nepal, the population of Nepal as on 2001 stands at 23.15 million while it is projected to increase to 24.2 million in 2002. But the report termed “People, Poverty and Possibilities”, has for the first time, shown solid, research- based evidence that promoting better reproductive health services promotes economic growth and reduced poverty. And this is where Nepal could learn a lesson or two.
Only 13 per cent of women in Nepal have access to skilled birth attendants while 90 per cent of the women still give birth at home in a traditional manner. This has led to the country having the highest maternal mortality rate of 539 deaths per 100,000 women.
Contrary to the UN report citing the need for voluntary access to reproductive health information and services, with that of the total population in Nepal, the only 39.3 per cent have access to or use contraceptives.
Launching the report today, Dr Shankar P Sharma, the vice-chairman of National Planning Commission, said, “Nepal as an under-developed country needs to focus on poverty alleviation, increasing coverage of RH services and in reducing family size”.
The new analysis of the report also shows that especially in the developing countries that have invested in family planning, smaller families and slower population growth, have achieved higher productivity, more savings and more productive investments.
The report analyses that lower fertility reaps economic growth and that fertility and population growth are highest in 49 least developed countries. Against a fertility rate of 2.9 per cent in neighbouring India, Nepal’s fertility rate stands high at 4.1 per cent, with 16.6 years as the median age for marriage of women.
With the report urging the need to eliminate illiteracy as a means to reduce poverty, experts sought the answer in investing in education. Meanwhile a glance at the adult literacy rate shows that against a 70 per cent literacy rate in men, only 45 per cent of the women are literate.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Gopal Dahit, Assistant Minister for Population and Environment said, “We need to invest in education, especially in girl’s education because apart from empowering the women herself and widening her choices, it is particularly cost effective because benefits pass to her children”.
Globally, the world population as on 2002 stands at 6,221 million with the greater half in Asia which has a population of 3,768 million.
The UNFPA, that has for over 30 years helped developing countries find solutions to their population problems, has published the State of the World Population Report since 1978.