Leader Highlights Significance of Population Growth in Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei once again cautioned against the dire consequences of declining birth rate in Iran, and renewed call for special efforts to encourage population growth in order to avert public aging.
“The issue of reproducing the generation and preventing a decrease in the country’s young population is a vital issue and should be pursued seriously,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in an address to a gathering of Iran Midwifery Population officials, here in Tehran on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion of the International Midwives' Day which falls on May 5, the Supreme Leader extolled the benefits of growing young generation and referred to the youth of the country as a “privilege”.
“A country without the young population is tantamount to a country without creativity, progress, excitement and enthusiasm,” the Leader explained.
Ayatollah Khamenei then warned against the disastrous impacts of aging population, and added, “In case of the continuation of the incorrect policies and measures that would result in the decline of birth rate and a drastic decrease in the country’s young population in future, we will suffer a very big blow, dubbed public aging.”
The Leader further underlined the importance of grand plans to encourage population growth in Iran, and placed great emphasis on the role of midwives in reaching that objective.
In relevant comments in October last year, Ayatollah Khamenei had raised the alarm over the negative impacts of aging population, and called for essential scientific planning to encourage population growth in Iran.
“Country's young picture is a major, important and determining issue," the Leader said at the time.
"Countries in the world whose populations have got old had difficulties in their efforts to find solution to the problem,” the Supreme Leader had noted.
