UP’s Nargis among ‘7 billionth’ babies celebrated worldwide

Nargis is the first child of 23-year-old Vinita and 25-year-old farmer Ajay and has been welcomed as the symbolic seven billionth baby, Bhagyashree Dengle,executive director of child rights group Plan India said.

Nargis shares the honours of being the world’s symbolic seven billionth baby with Philippines’ Danica May Camacho who was born just after midnight in a government hospital in Manila.

Danica came into the world at two minutes before midnight,a tiny,wrinkled girl born into a struggling Manila family. On Monday,she too became a symbol of the world’s population reaching 7 billion people and all the worries that entails for the planet’s future.

Danica May Camacho,born in a crowded public hospital,was welcomed with a chocolate cake marked 7B Philippines and a gift certificate for free shoes. There were bursts of photographers’ flashes,and speeches by local officials.

Amid the millions of births and deaths around the world each day,it is impossible to pinpoint the arrival of the globe’s 7 billionth occupant. But the UN chose Monday to mark the day with a string of festivities worldwide,and a series of symbolic 7-billionth babies being born.

Danica was the first,arriving at Manila’s Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital at two minutes before midnight Sunday — but doctors say that was close enough to count for a Monday birthday.

She looks so lovely, the mother,Camille Galura,whispered as she cradled the 2.5-kilo (5.5-pound) baby,who was born about a month premature.

The baby was the second for Galura and her partner,Florante Camacho,a struggling driver who supports the family on a tiny salary.

Dr Eric Tayag of the Philippines’ Department of Health said later that the birth came with a warning. Seven billion is a number we should think about deeply, he said.

We should really focus on the question of whether there will be food,clean water,shelter,education and a decent life for every child, he said. If the answer is ‘no,’ it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion.

In the Philippines,much of the population question revolves around birth control. The government backs a program that includes artificial birth control. The powerful Roman Catholic church,though,vehemently opposes contraception.

Camacho,a Catholic like her husband,said she was aware of the church’s position but had decided to begin using a birth control device.

The number of homeless children I see on the streets keep multiplying, Camacho said. When I see them,I’m bothered because I eat and maybe they don’t.

Demographers say it took until 1804 for the world to reach its first billion people,and a century more until it hit 2 billion in 1927. The twentieth century,though,saw things begin to cascade: 3 billion in 1959; 4 billion in 1974; 5 billion in 1987; 6 billion in 1998.

The birth of Nargis has given a new resolve to her father Ajay,who now wants to work for creating awareness among the people about nurturing the girl child and wants his daughter to become a doctor.

Nargis was selected to be the symbolic seven billionth baby to focus on the plight of the girl child in the country facing the problem of female foeticide,Dengle said. The birth of Nargis and six other girls born in the area today was celebrated at a function organised by Plan India.

All the seven girls born in the area were given birth certificates and have also got seven celebratory sponsors like Mallika Sarabhai,Sunita Narain and Anushka Shankar who would be taking care of issues relating to their basic rights,education,health and participation for the next seven years as per the Plan India initiative.

Dengle said the UN had carried out a survey which found that the probability of the seven billionth child being born in Uttar Pradesh was high. Every minute,51 babies are born in India,11 of them in Uttar Pradesh.

Surprised by the media attention surrounding the birth of his daughter,Ajay said he would soon meet people of adjoining villages to create awareness about the rights of the girl child.

Both me and my wife had wanted a girl child who is given the status of a ‘devi’ in our society, Ajay who is the youngest in his family of four and resides in a thatched house,said.

Even my parents are happy over this birth, he said adding now it would be his ambition to see that his daughter becomes a doctor though it would require lots of resources.

I have been told that all the expenses and other requirements would be met by the sponsors for the next seven years. I would try that she gets all facilities to become a doctor, Ajay owns 8 to 10 bighas of land and grows wheat,rice and mangoes,said.

Dengle said,By celebrating the birth of a girl child as the seven billionth child in the world we are drawing attention to the serious issue of India’s declining child sex ratio.

Today,there are just 914 girls for very 1,000 boys between 0 and six years,she said,adding that Plan India has also launched ‘Let girls be born’ campaign in six states to galvanise support on the issue of female feoticide.

Global Press officer of Plan International Devender Kumar said there is no concrete mechanism to find out the seven billionth child and it is a symbolic exercise to promote the girl child.

India,which struggles with a deeply held preference for sons and a skewed sex ratio because of millions of aborted female fetuses,is using the day to highlight that issue.

It would be a fitting moment if the 7 billionth baby is a girl born in rural India, said Dr Madhu Gupta,an Uttar Pradesh gynecologist. It would help in bringing the global focus back on girls,who are subject to inequality and bias.

The UN estimates the world’s population will reach 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083. But the numbers could vary widely,depending on everything from life expectancy to access to birth control to infant mortality rates.

As the world’s population touched the landmark seven billion mark,UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for “unity of purpose” among people across nations to address problems of climate change,economic crisis and inequality.

“Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are seven billion strong. But we will only be able to use that strength for the benefit of all if our societies are built on mutual respect and understanding,” Moon said.

Moon said the world must come together “on this special day… in the name of the global common good.”

UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin said actions taken now will decide whether the future of the seventh billion baby will be healthy,sustainable and prosperous or marked by inequalities,environmental decline and economic setbacks.

“The world must seize the opportunity to invest in the health and education of its youth to reap the full benefits of future economic development or else face a continuation of the sorry state of disparities in which hundreds of millions of people in developing nations lack the most basic ingredients for a decent life,” Osotimehin said.

He said planning and the right investments in people will empower them to make choices that are not only good for themselves,but also for a world of seven billion.