World first symbolic 7 billionth citizen born in India

World first symbolic 7 billionth citizen born in India

 India Monday welcomed the world' s first symbolic "seven billionth" citizen, named Nargis, born to a family in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The girl baby was born to 23-year-old Vinita and her husband Ajay at a community health centre about 7:20 a.m. near the state capital Lucknow, according to Bhagyeshwari, executive director of NGO Plan India, which is conducting the exercise.

Statistics show that 51 babies are born every minute in India and of these 11 babies are born in Uttar Pradesh alone. So, the United Nations Population Fund also estimated that the world's seven billionth inhabitant would be born in this state.

But the number is only symbolic, as the Philippines also has reported the birth of the seven billionth girl baby early Monday in Manila.

Prior to the advent of the seven billionth world citizen, UN Population Fund's Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin has called for actions now to decide whether the future of the seven billionth 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," he said.

Editor: Fang Yang

English.news.cn   2011-10-31 15:32:57