Qatar to mark World Population Day Wednesday

Qatar will join the global community in marking the UN World Population Day, which is annually observed on July 11. "Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services" is the theme of this year’s celebration of World Population Day, in support of the attainment of the 5th Millennium Development Goal (MDG) which is to improve maternal health. On this occasion, Qatar’s Standing Committee of the Population has reaffirmed its commitment to this year’s theme, noting its keenness to follow-up the implementation of a number of operational and institutional measures and procedures aimed at enabling men and women access to reproductive health services as part of the national population policy. Qatar has made great achievements in terms of reproductive health policy showing a decrease of the maternal mortality rate due to pregnancy and childbirth complications from three deaths in 2005 to two deaths in 2010 thanks to the advanced health care services provided to women before and after delivery, the Qatari daily (Gulf Times) reported, citing a statement issued by the committee on the occasion. Since 2003, Qatar has succeeded in achieving 100% coverage of primary healthcare system among women while 99.9% of women deliver under the supervision of specialized medical doctors, added the statement. Qatar’s neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and under-five mortality rates have also dropped over the past five years, it said. In December 2009, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) and the Family Counseling Centre signed a cooperation agreement on the national program for screening before marriage in order to maintain and protect families in Qatar, it stated. Improving the reproductive health in the society in general, and of women in particular, is part of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2011-2016, the committee said. Each year, an estimated 980,000 women die due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth; 99% of these deaths occur within the most disadvantaged population groups living in the poorest countries of the world, according to a recent data by the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite progress in this area, there is still much to be done to realize the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) vision of "a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.