Human Services - The Increase in the Rate of Population - Article Example

Human Services The word human services include a wide range of programs, activities and agencies that are designed to meet the intellectual, physicaland socio-emotional requirements of families and individuals. The services are meted out basically through Microsystems and mesosystems according to the need of each issue (Garbarino 1992 p.232). Human services face challenges due to the changes in the world, in terms of technological advances and environmental changes. It is projected by reliable sources that there will be more hunger within fifty years, there will be more shortage of water and malaria- one of the dreadful disease has the likelihood to spread to developed nations by 2050. A more daunting issue for human services is the rapid increase in population in the twentieth century which is usually called population explosion. The increase in population was not a global phenomenon but was specific to developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The increase in the rate of population has a dramatic contrast between less developed nations and more developed nations. Developing nations add around eight million people to the world’s population while developed countries add around one million. Several nations in Africa are estimated to reach a 193 percent growth rate in population by 2050. The exorbitant increase in population is a major challenge for human services because excessive population would lead to limited healthcare especially in rural areas, increase the poverty and illiteracy rates and increase social unrest and deprivation of education. The 21st century is also likely to bring more challenges to human services with international migration as a result of globalization ( Woodside & McClam 2008 P.76). People migrate from a less developed nation to another nation and the migration causes major socio economic concerns for the origin and destination countries. Urbanization is another challenge for human services. The long term global trend is more evident in poor countries and currently, one third of world’ population, approximately 600 million people have no access to basic need that include sewage disposal and clean water. However, the migration to cities continues even in the absence of proper dwelling, clean water, working community toilets and electricity. Human service organizations have to face these challenges related to migrants and refugees with associate problems like homelessness, drug abuse, AIDS and rehabilitate displace people following natural disasters ( Woodside & McClam 2008 p.77). The elderly population is also a challenge for Human services with respect to demographic changes in the twentieth century that will continue to gain significance and have serious implications in the 21st century ( Woodside & McClam 2008 p.81) Population explosion Out of the many issues, population explosion is a major challenge for human services. It was mentioned in the beginning, the various social and economic problems related to the increase in the rate of population in less developed countries. Similarly, the aging population is a serious threat because life expectancy is high and though people live healthily they have one or more diseases that require the services of care gives. The number of old aged people is becoming a crucial issue in terms of health care (Greene 2000 p.4). This is to reinstate that population explosion also happen in the event of increase in the number of elderly people also. The population explosion issue can be addressed through a number of programs. The fears of overpopulation have historically been challenged through the institution of various reproductive health programs. Population control movement has been effective in the second half of the 20th century in employing family planning programs. Contraceptive programs have also been effective and have been the basic contributors towards reproduction control that prevails currently. It was considered by experts that overpopulation will lead humankind into oblivion. The increase in population has been blamed for social and legal problems like increased poverty, unemployment and overtaxed social services that degrade the environment, increase famine and genocide (Knudsen 2006 P.2). In certain circumstances, stringent population control measures have to be made more compulsory (Knudsen 2006 p.3). Structural adjustment programs have been implemented in the past in several nations where the governments have agreed to employ national population policy. Inadequate political commitments or strategic decision can cause a hindrance to such programs. The efforts of the United Nations and the funds from World Bank can be channeled into respective organizations where human services have a key role in population control in terms of family planning information or reproductive health. USAID has offered funds to control population in the Third World. There has been active contribution from United States for population control. Most of the donors view that the increase in the growth rate of population is the root cause for underdevelopment. Therefore, efforts are being made to control the issue rather than dealing with development issues (Knudsen 2006 p.4) Human service can initiate a mission to control population by actively engaging in promoting awareness about the advantages of small families and create awareness about permanent family planning through vasectomy and ligation operations. It may be easier to give birth to babies at government hospital but there is no facility for the public to get educated about family planning measures. Human service can also educate people about the very low expenses related to these surgical operations and work in association with NGO’s to assist poor families who have reached the family size to undergo these operations (Mission for Population Control). The problem related to population control is complex. Though there are several types of contraception, the concern surrounds the users. Human services must extend their operation to the uneducated masses who are not aware about the various methods of contraception once their family has reached their family size. Contraceptives must be promoted by considering the country, gender, socio-religious belief and cultural practices. Besides contraception through operation, the use of barrier methods can be promoted. Contraception like intrauterine devices, contraceptive pills and injectibles are also not much in use for birth control. Male contraception is restricted to barrier method and vasectomy while there are a number of contraception methods for women. There are more than adequate method of contraception for women but the problem is in the unwillingness to use them. The user is a complex issue due to the unwillingness factor which has to be dealt by human services. The limited methods available for men increase the responsibility of female to use contraceptives to limit the size of the family. The role of the female user is more complex because the participation of majority of females in the birth control process is passive with a nil decision making capacity. Population control has acquired a new dimension called reproductive health to promote birth control awareness among women. Human services must concentrate on promoting population control surrounding the concept of reproductive health as a special health requirement of female during and after the child bearing age. In this context, reproductive health and population control programs are interdependent and go hand in hand. The transition from the term Family Planning Program to reproductive health has taken place because reproductive health champions various reproduction related issues of women with significant emphasis to birth control (Rao 2001 p.421) Reproductive health comprises safe motherhood, child health and development, women’s development, adolescent education, infertility, effective selection of family planning prevention and the reproductive health of elderly people. It may be noted that family planning program with emphasis to population control can be successful only if these associated problems are also addressed. The key to implement these programs requires the effective communication skills of human services to motivate potential users. The responsibility of the human service provider becomes easy if the volunteer can convince communities that contraception is a better choice than the risks of repeated pregnancy. Population explosion is a serious issue among illiterate populace in rural regions. This demands an urgent need to enhance the opportunities for better literacy especial for women with an equally immediate need to enhance the primary health care facilities that act as the nodal point for reproductive health activity. The uncontrolled increase in population is attributed to a serious threat in rural areas due to the lack of facilities in primary health care centers. The lacks of facilities result in the mortality of the new born child and mother in various instances. It is documented by reliable sources that uncertainty over the survival of child is a major reason that leads people to give birth to more children to secure their life during old age. Human service providers can address this problem on a national, regional or international basis through their organizations and in collaboration with governments to set up well equipped primary health centres. Regulation of birth control from governments has limitations for implementation, but human service providers have an edge over the government in instilling a sense of responsibility in every individual to control population. There is hope for the future if human service providers can get into the illiterate and unaware lots of people in rural areas and educate them about the prospects of child control and assist them in their family planning decision (Rao 2001 p.423). The challenge of human service to handle population may seem immense. The technological development and organized networks of human service providers can make a change through well planned and organized programs to reach all corners of the world to control overpopulation which can also serve as a solution to several social and economic problems in the 21st century. Reference Garbarino,J. 1992 Children and families in the social environment New Jersey: Aldine Transaction Greene, R.R. 2000 Social work with the aged and their families New Jersey: Aldine Transaction Knudsen, L.M. 2006 Reproductive rights in a global context: South Africa, Uganda, Peru, Denmark , United States, Vietnam, Jordan Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press Mission for Population Control Available: http://www.populationcontrol.org/ Retrieved on October 18, 2009 Rao, A.J. 2001 A holistic approach to population control in India Available: http://www.ias.ac.in/jbiosci/nov2001/421.pdf Retrieved on October 18, 2009 Woodside, M. & McClam, T. 2008 An Introduction to Human Services London: Cengage Learning Read More