Question

List and describe five policy interventions that might be used to lower birth rates.

Answer 1

The population of the world is currently more than seven billion which is growing tremendously beyond the nature's carrying capacity. While the world population is growing at a faster pace, it should be also reminded that our earth has limited resources which should be utilised rationally. Over exploitation of natural resources will leave people to starve for their basic necessities which will bring dire consequences to the human existence. So it is the need of the hour to to troll the birth rates in order to halt the pace of faster growth birth rates. There are many policies which could be implemented by government to stabilise the population growth in their respective policies.

(A) One child policies:- The one child policy could be implemented by the government to limit the number of child by each couple to one in order to bring down the population growth of developing countries. The one child policy was implemented by China in the 1970's to limit the countries faster population growth rate which helped them to stagnate the birth rates for the next thirty years. It is the high time for developing nations fighting with poverty to implement such type of policies in order to bring economic and social development in their countries.

(B) Eradicating poverty:- Developing countries who are gripped by the devil of poverty have the record of higher population rates. In these countries, poverty stricken families consider their children as assets. With maximum numbers of children in a family, the option of earning by each member also goes up. In the developing countries where most of the people are engaged with agriculture, they consider it as a boon to have many children in their houses as they could help them in their agricultural fields. Besides, lack of medical facilities, higher infant mortality rates, lack of education etc also provide the incentives for poor families to have many children. So, it should be considered by the governments of poor countries with higher birth rates to eradicate poverty by initiating various public welfare programmes which will make people to understand the effects of higher birth rates in their lives as well as to the countries economy.

(c) Women empowerment:- Governments should implement policies which help in bringing gender equality reducing the gender gap. Policies related to women empowerment should include government funded higher education for women which make them independent economically and take their own decisions. Higher educated women likely to marry at a later age which reduces their fertility rates which is higher among the women marrying at a very early age.

  (d) Family awareness programmes :- Making people aware against the higher birth rates by holding public meetings, distributing leaflets, hoardings, advertisements on public media will also help in lowering the birth rates.

(e) Supplementing contraceptives:- Government should supplement contraceptives pills, condoms etc among adult people in order to control the birth rates. Besides free sterilization programmes in government aided hospitals also will help in limiting the numbers of population growth by controlling birth rates.