New Delhi, July 11 (Reporter) Union Health Minister JP Nadda, on the occasion of the World Population Day today, underscored the importance of planned parenthood in ensuring improved maternal and child health outcomes. Observed annually on July 11, this year’s theme, 'Healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy for the health and well-being of mother and child', highlights the critical role of informed family planning in public health. In a message shared on social media platform X, Nadda stated, “World Population Day serves as a platform to raise awareness about family planning and renew our commitment to addressing population-related challenges.” He emphasised that planned parenthood is integral to achieving healthier outcomes for mothers and children. Highlighting this year’s slogan, “The right age to become a mother is when the mind and the body is ready,” the Health Minister called for increased awareness around physical and emotional preparedness for parenthood. “This underscores the importance of informed and empowered decisions with both physical and emotional readiness,” he noted. Nadda further stated that through public health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Central Government is working to deliver essential family planning services across the country. These efforts, he said, are “empowering families and paving the way for a healthier India.” Meanwhile, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of World Population Report 2025, released earlier this week, noted that 36% of Indian adults experience unintended pregnancies, while 30% face an unfulfilled desire for more or fewer children. Alarmingly, 23% experienced both. Commenting on the report, Dr Sombrata Ray, Unit Head at CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, Kolkata, described the figures as indicative of broader systemic issues related to reproductive health access, education, and empowerment. “I think this is not just a statistic, but it is indeed millions of families going through emotional, financial, and physical consequences of either a lack of timely information or support. “Even more concerning is the fact that many unintended pregnancies are largely preventable. This signals a huge gap in reproductive awareness, availability of contraceptives, and open communication about family planning. Public and private healthcare systems must come together to take adequate measures. “We need to make greater investments in community education, increase access to contraceptive counseling and fertility support, and make reproductive health services accessible to both men and women in communities both urban and rural,” the doctor said. She called for stronger collaboration between public and private sectors in healthcare, stressing the need for greater investment in community education, wider access to contraceptive counselling, and improved reproductive health services, particularly in underserved urban and rural areas. India is home to over 1.46 billion people, making it the world's most populous country, after China. According to a new UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population Report released on June, 2025, the population is expected to grow to approximately 1.7 billion before beginning to decline around 40 years from now,. China's population is estimated to reach 1.41 billion this year...////...