CHENNAI: Population control is vital to the overall development of our country, said J Radhakrishnan, Secretary to Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, at the inaugural address of the World Population Day awareness seminar in the city on Tuesday.
“The replacement rate (birth-death ratio) is 2:1, which our State reached way back in 1996, besides having a total fertility rate of 1.7, which is the most stable in the country. This was achieved under the regime of our CM between 1991 and 1996. But we shouldn’t rest on our laurels and forget about keeping the population under check. This has been the primary goal of the Health Department from the start. This day is the time when we re-dedicate ourselves to the continuing efforts on population stabilisation programmes,” Radhakrishan said.
This is not a completed effort, but a continuing effort, to spread the awareness among the people across the State. This is where the role of you, the stakeholders of our country is important, he added.
Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar highlighted the CM’s efforts in implementing health programmes for maternal care and post natal care.
He also hailed her multi-dimensional efforts to reduce maternal deaths.
Vijayabhaskar also presented awards and mementoes to students who had participated in speech competitions held in connection with World Population Day.
A World Population Day awareness pamphlet was released by the Health Minister and other dignitaries.
Also present at the event was S Geethalakshmi, Director of Medical Education, and Mohan Pyare IAS, Principal Secretary for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy, Government of Tamil Nadu.