43rd session of the Commission on Population and Development will discuss the theme of “Health, Morbidity, Mortality and Development” from 12-14 April in New York
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council and later it was decided that the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism. The Commission is composed of forty-seven Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives usually have a relevant background in population and development. The Commission met typically every two or three years until 1994, after which it has met once a year.
This year’s session will cover a broad range of issues including the major shifts in mortality since 1950, causes of death, health and development, the need for health workers, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases and maternal conditions, preventing injuries and the role of primary health care.
The shifting burden of disease from communicable to non-communicable diseases and the interrelations between health and development are also going to be part of the discussion. The Population Programme also emphasizes on improved maternal health and reduced morbidity and mortality.
It focuses on activities related to maternal and newborn care, investing in family planning and midwifery, enhancing reproductive health commodity security, preventing and treating obstetric fistula, abandoning the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting, eliminating gender-based violence, addressing adolescent pregnancy and child marriage, preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, comprehensive condom programming to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV infection and providing reproductive health services in emergency situations.
It points out that reproductive ill health impacts mortality and accounts for a large share of the global burden of disease, particularly among women and children. The most cost-effective interventions to reduce maternal mortality are family planning, skilled birth attendants during delivery and emergency obstetric care.
Items on the agenda for the Session include actions in follow-up to the recommendations of the International Conference, general debate on national experience in population matters, programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population, contribution of population and development issues to the theme of the annual ministerial review in 2010 and adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-third session.
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