Too many wives, to many babies

By Glenda Awikiak
POLYGAMY is one of the causes of high population growth and should be discouraged, says Secretary for Department of National Planning and Monitoring Konny Samuel.
He said the country was facing a baby boom because “people are marrying at will and having children without informed decision and choices”. “The higher the population growth, the higher is the demand for goods and services – more classrooms, teachers, doctors and nurses,” he said.
“At the moment the government is struggling to meet those demands.
“Our economy is growing at a rate of about 2.4 per cent. We need to manage the population so that we can provide for them. Otherwise we will have a big problem trying to meet the demand of a growing population.
“Papua New Guinea does not have a target for population size.”
Samuel was speaking during the launching of the UNFPA report “The State of World Population 2018” which showed that when people made “reproductive” choices, they decide the size of their families and when to have children. When they lack that choice, it can have a long-term effect on fertility rates, often making them higher or lower than what most people desire,” he said.
“The power to choose the number, timing and spacing of children can bolster economic and social development.”
UNFPA representative Koffi Kouame said no country could claim to have made reproductive rights a reality for all.
“Choices are limited for too many women and this means that there are still millions of people who are having more or fewer children that they would like, with implications not only for individuals but also the communities, institutions, economies and labour markets and entire nations.”