Africa-Press – Mauritius. A workshop on “Monitoring in Labour to improve maternal health and reduce infant deaths” opened, this morning, at Caudan Arts Centre, Port Louis, in the context of World Population Day 2022 observed on 11 July annually.
The Senior Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Mrs Devi Chand Anandi Rye Seewooruthun, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Mr Indrajit Hazarika, were present.
The workshop, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, aims to train some 50 Medical and Health Officers and Midwives on monitoring of labour.
Several themes are on the agenda, namely the use of partogram in management of delivery; cardiotocography-importance and use of intrapartum management; fetal scalp sampling; instrumental delivery; introduction of a Code System; and lowering of gestational age.
In her address, Mrs Seewoorutthun who intervened on behalf of the Minister of Health and Wellness, highlighted that this year, the world population will hit 8 million adding that it is expected to hit the 10 billion mark in 2050.
Mauritius, she indicated, currently has a population of 1,3 million inhabitants and stated that the country is facing the phenomenon of ageing population.
The proportion of our people aged above 60 years is expected to increase from 18 % in 2020 to 37% in 2060 which shows that almost 4 out of 10 people in Mauritius, in some 40 years, will be in their sixties, she observed.
Furthermore, she stated that the birth rate is going down. In a bid to address this issue, the Senior Chief Executive recalled that four experts from the WHO were in Mauritius recently to carry out a workshop in Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE).
This exercise, she said, provided important insight for health personnel and staff of the Ministry of Health and Wellness for the drafting of the ICOPE Plan of Action.
She rejoiced that Mauritius will be among the first countries to introduce such a strategy while adding that the ICOPE will focus on healthy ageing and fertility rate.
Speaking about fertility rate, Mrs Seewoorutthun said that it is presently 1.4 in Mauritius while the replacement fertility level of 2.1 is required for the population to replace itself. In that context, she said that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has taken several initiatives to address this issue.
They are: launching of the Fertility Clinic at the SSRN Hospital in Pamplemousses, elaboration of the National Roadmap 2020-2025 to improve maternal, neonatal and child health; and 24/7 physical presence of specialists in all hospitals to ensure timely health care delivery.
The Ministry, she added, is also working towards the elaboration of a National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy 2022 and a Plan of Action which would span till 2027.
As for the WHO Representative in Mauritius, Mr Indrajit Hazarika, he said that World Population Day is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity and marvel at the advancement in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.
He however observed that progress has not been universal and inequalities are pervasive. As regards the workshop on the monitoring of labour organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, he highlighted that much can be done to save the women who die during childbirth. He enumerated several initiatives which can be taken to that end.
They include: strengthening in primary health care systems to ensure that every woman, newborn and child have access to quality care; empowering frontline health workers with the skills and resources to deliver people-centred care; and ensuring timely and seamless access to life-saving services in the event of any emergencies.
World Population Day 2022 World Population Day is observed on July 11 every year, to raise awareness regarding global population issues. The day is aimed to address the urgency and significance of issues related to the population.
World Population Day was established by the United Nations Development Programme in 1989 when the global population reached five billion. Being celebrated for over three decades, it is meant to raise awareness about solutions related to population control.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, the world population will hit the eight billion mark in 2022. This comes after the world achieved the seven billion-mark in 2011 only.
The world population first reached one billion in 1804 and three billion by 1960. It only took 40 years — by 2000 — for the population to double to 6 billion.
Every second of every day, 4.2 people are born and 1.8 people die. It’s expected that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities.
The world’s population is growing by 1.10 percent per year, or about an additional 83 million people annually. The global population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100.
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