Posted:
12.05.2023 11:20:00
Every ‘I’ matters
What are the challenges and threats facing demographic security in Belarus today and how will we protect ourselves from them
According to the draft National Security Concept, demographic security is the state of protection of the individual, society and the state from the impact of demographic threats, ensuring the stabilisation of the population, the development of the country’s human potential, the preservation of family and intergenerational ties. What does this mean in practice and what threats in this area exist for the Belarusian society today?
Every person matters
Special attention has always been paid to the issues of demographic security in our country.Belarusians must increase in number in order to survive as a nation. To do this, there is a whole system of support for motherhood, childhood, as well as stimulating life expectancy.
In January 2021, a resolution of the Council of Ministers came into force, which approved the ‘Health of the people and demographic security’ State Programme for 2021-2025. The provisions of the programme affect almost every family and every citizen of our country. Its goal is to create conditions for improving the health of the population covering all stages of life, improving the quality and accessibility of health care services. The preamble to the programme says that the demographic situation in our country remains difficult. The population has declined, and there has been a downward trend in the birth rate (including due to a decrease in the number of women of reproductive age). That is why it is necessary to implement a set of measures aimed at creating conditions for improving the health of the population of all ages.
According to the programme, life expectancy will be 76.5 years in Belarus in 2025. At the same time, 95 percent of the country’s population will have access to quality medical services.
The total fertility rate should be 1.32-1.46 births, which is not enough for the natural reproduction of the population. But this does not mean that there will be fewer citizens in the country. Together with the high quality of medical care and an increase in life expectancy, as well as migration policy, there will be a sufficient number of people in the country.
It is interesting that such trends (the value of the birth rate is less than 2) are typical today for most developed countries of the world. However, this is a process that never goes in a straight line.
In the world
According to a forecast by the University of Washington, published in The Lancet medical journal on July 14th, 2020, world population will peak in 2064 at about 9.73 billion and then decline to 8.79 billion by 2100. The global average total fertility rate in the world is projected to decline steadily to 1.66 in 2100. Then it will grow again.
What measures are being taken in Belarus to support natural population growth?
Family- family capital programme
- benefits and housing for large families
- benefits for mothers on maternity leave
Reproductive health
- citizens have the opportunity to receive a free IVF attempt
- low percentage of child and maternal mortality
- high level of medical care and its universal availability
- programmes for early diagnosis of diseases have been introduced to increase life expectancy
Support for childhood and motherhood
- the state provides material assistance to families raising children
- provision of paid sick leave for child care
- free education, health care and more
FIGURE
According to the National Statistical Committee, the population of Belarus as of January 1st, 2023, was 9,200,617 people (as of January 1st, 2022, the population was 9,228,071 people).
The main national interests in the demographic aspect are:
- stabilisation of the population and creation of prerequisites for its sustainable growth based on a consistent increase in the birth rate and life expectancy, and a decrease in mortality;
- raising the general level of people’s health, protecting the health of mother and child;
- strengthening the institution of the family as a social institution most favourable for the realisation of the need for children, their upbringing, the development of a support system for families with children and the improvement of their living conditions;
- optimisation of external migration flows, ensuring a positive balance of migration.
Internal sources of threats to national security in the demographic aspect are:
- disproportions in the sex and age structure of the population;
- decrease in reproductive attitudes of the population, their incomplete implementation;
- negative transformations of the family institution (decrease in the level of marriage, increase in the age of first marriage, an increase in the number of single-parent families, widowhood, etc.);
- decrease in the general level of health of the population, its individual sex and age groups;
- unfavourable epidemiological situation.
The main directions for neutralising internal sources of threats in the demographic aspect are:
- comprehensive stimulation of the birth rate, ensuring simple reproduction of the population, strengthening the institution of the family and preserving traditional spiritual and moral values;
- reducing mortality, increasing life expectancy, protecting the health of mother and child, maintaining the reproductive and general health of the population.
OPINION
Igor Zavalei, MP, member of the Standing Committee on Healthcare, Physical Education, Family and Youth Policy of the House of Representatives,
“The demographic issue is relevant for Belarus. Simply put, the number of citizens in the country should be much higher. Numbers are a stubborn thing, but the economy is a specific system, and people are needed for the coordinated work of this system. We have enough work, areas of activity that require the application of specialists, tasks and goals that are feasible with our work. There would only be people.
Accordingly, it becomes obvious that demographic security must be considered in the context of modern challenges, risks and threats. After all, arguing over long time periods, you ask yourself the question: then who will live here, and where will our beloved and so reverently created Belarus be? Will we not become an absolute country of emigrants and migrants, strangers who will bring to us ideals and values that are unusual and alien to Belarusians? Solving the demographic problem today, we take care of ours and yours tomorrow. Therefore, measures to protect the demographic interests of the country are reflected at the highest level. As a father of two children, I still want to be sure that my children and grandchildren will live and work in their country and on their land.”
Igor Zavalei, MP, member of the Standing Committee on Healthcare, Physical Education, Family and Youth Policy of the House of Representatives,
“The demographic issue is relevant for Belarus. Simply put, the number of citizens in the country should be much higher. Numbers are a stubborn thing, but the economy is a specific system, and people are needed for the coordinated work of this system. We have enough work, areas of activity that require the application of specialists, tasks and goals that are feasible with our work. There would only be people.
Accordingly, it becomes obvious that demographic security must be considered in the context of modern challenges, risks and threats. After all, arguing over long time periods, you ask yourself the question: then who will live here, and where will our beloved and so reverently created Belarus be? Will we not become an absolute country of emigrants and migrants, strangers who will bring to us ideals and values that are unusual and alien to Belarusians? Solving the demographic problem today, we take care of ours and yours tomorrow. Therefore, measures to protect the demographic interests of the country are reflected at the highest level. As a father of two children, I still want to be sure that my children and grandchildren will live and work in their country and on their land.”
