This year, the World Population Day is being observed with the theme 'the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fertility' so as to inform people about the imortance of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive behaviour during the uncertain times. UN and allied agencies are 'organizing an online panel discussion of leading demographers and population experts on 14 July from 9 to 9.45 am EDT to discuss the impact of the pandemic on fertility preferences and behaviours, the availability and use of family planning, teenage marriage, challenges of data collection and more.'
The concept note of the panel discussion states, "The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created a global public health crisis, causing worldwide economic slowdowns and massive social disruptions. While the impact of the pandemic on morbidity, mortality and migration has been relatively well documented, its impact on sexual and reproductive health, including fertility require a longer period of time to manifest, and is therefore only beginning to become evident."
The note adds that the panel of leading population experts will address the following questions
• What are the key factors and theoretical considerations that we need to bear in mind in
assessing the fertility impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What are the key mechanisms through which the COVID-19 pandemic affects fertility
preferences and behaviours? Can we draw on lessons from previous pandemics/
epidemics and economic crises?
• What do the initial data tell us about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the use of family planning? How has it affected
teenage marriage, unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, adolescent fertility and
overall fertility?
• The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected data collection in many countries. To
what extent does this affect the assessment of its impact on fertility and other sexual and
reproductive health determinants?
The main picture above shows the inset photo of Dr Lalit Kishore's article 'Population as Subject', Published in the Tribune, Chandigarh, in its "Education Tribune' section.
The picture below is an inset file picture of a rally on World Population Day by IHAT project in Tonk of Rajasthan.
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