RANGPUR: Health experts at an awareness building meeting here have sought cooperation of the media workers in containing population growth rate by creating social awareness to intensify family planning activities, reports BSS. The District Family Planning Department organised the meeting as part of an awareness building cam-paign on family planning, mater-nal and child health affairs issues for media workers at conference room of Rangpur Sadar Hospital in the city on Thursday. Deputy Director of the District Family Planning Department Dr Shafikul Islam presided over the meeting participated by a large number of working journalists from the print, electronic and online media. Deputy Director of the Local Government for Rangpur Sultana Parveen attended the meeting, arranged with assistance of the Information Education, Motivation (IEM) Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning, as the chief guest.
Health expert Dr Sheikh Md Saiful Islam and Medical Officer of the Civil Surgeon's Office Dr Nazmul Islam also addressed the meeting moderated by ATM Nazmul Huda. Representative of the IEM Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning Anjuman Ara Begum discussed about concept of smaller families, safe motherhood and care for newborn babies, anti-natal care, nutrition and effects of child marriage and other issues. Narrating the utter importance of family planning and the government steps taken towards the directions, she emphasized the need for inspiring all couples to adopt long-term and permanent methods of family planning for reducing high fertility rates. She called upon media workers for creating mass public awareness through disseminating the important message of "not more than two children, but one is better", among couples to make the government's population control programme successful.Dr Shafikul Islam and Dr Sheikh Md Saiful Islam answered various questions asked by the journalists on the family planning activities being conducted in the district and success achieved so far. The chief guest urged the journalists for inspiring the able couples in adopting family planning methods through creating awareness with their writings in containing population growth for building a healthier and developed Bangladesh.