Prime Minister and Chairman of National Population Committee, Jhalanath Khanal unveiled a population perspective plan (2010-2031) at a function organized by of the Ministry of Health and Population on the World Population Day in the Capital on Monday.
Considering the growing challenges of population management, the long-term plan has aimed at extending effective health services including the reproductive health services to those below poverty line and living in risk all across the country.
The government has planned to promote women empowerment, respect gender equality and gender mainstreaming, launch population management programmes with people's participation and facilitate a balanced regional development to alleviate poverty.
It has been projected that the population growth rate 2.25 (2001 census) will be reduced to 1.16 in 2031 but the population will ascend to over 36 million. As per the growth rate, 2.25 (2001), Nepal's population doubles after 31 years.
High growth rate, high child and maternal mortality rate, unavailability of family planning contraceptives, lack of adolescents' access to reproductive health, growing HIV/AIDS cases, rapid urbanization and migration, imbalanced distribution of populations, early marriage and displaced and old age population are the challenges of population management.
Unveiling the plan, Prime Minister Khanal said, "Youth population should be prepared as quality manpower as per the need of national development."
Country Director of UNFPA Ian MacFarlane pointed out the need to invest in the health, education and poverty alleviation. For this, coordination among the ministries was essential, he added.