WHO laments increase in world population as UNICEF decries high infant mortality

WHealth Organisation ( WHO), United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA), in collaboration with Cross River State Ministry of Health and other partners, have expressed worry over rapidly increasing world population, which rose from about seven billion in 2021 to eight billion in 2022, making it difficult for citizens to cope with crime rate and hardship.

At a technical conference on family planning in Calabar, on Tuesday, stakeholders also blamed unemployment and insecurity on continued increase in world popularity. WHO’S state Coordinator, Dr. Salisu Ibrahim, represented by Dr. Juliet Ubom, however, reaffirmed commitment to ensuring sustainable family planning policy in Cross River, saying: “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 bye.

IMILARLY, UNFPA’S representative, Mr. Emmanuel Emesonum, said: “Family planning is in the heart of UNFPA. We will continue to support partners in family planning service delivery in Cross River.”

Director of Public Health, Cross River State, Dr. Jonah Bassey Offor, said population explosion has adverse associated issues.

“The resources to take care of the rising population is a big challenge, so it behooves on us, and the international community, to think of how we will stem population increase. And the only way we can do that is through effective family planning method.”

EANWHILE, United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF) has decried high rate of childhood mortality and low exclusive breastfeeding among women in Nigeria.