World Population Day 2017: Know the advantages of injectable contraceptive

New Delhi: World Population Day, which is celebrated on July 11 each year, tries to bring attention to the importance of population issues.

When the first World Population Day was observed in 1990, the global population stood at a little over five billion. Now, it's over half that, measuring at about 7.6 billion.

Estimates indicate that 83 million people are added to the world's population per year - which means global population would reach almost 10 billion by 2050.

The theme for this year's World Population Day is “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations”. Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of infertility.

Noting that the country's population has grown tremendously over the past years, the Health Ministry, on the occasion of World Population Day, stressed on the importance of maintaining quality in service delivery of family planning products.

JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said the ministry has increased the basket of choices of contraceptives, including the injectables.

Here are some advantages of injectable contraceptive:

• It is a very effective and safe form of contraception – effective for three months.
• It increases acceptance rate.
• It helps meet the changing needs of couples.
• It improves user satisfaction.
• It benefits women who do not have to think about contraception every day.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to further step up efforts in family planning.

India is the second most populated country in the world with nearly a fifth of the world’s population and is projected to be the world’s most populous country by 2022, surpassing China.