TEHRAN -- On the occasion of World Population Day (July 11), the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Iran, Mohammad Mosleheddin, said, "The baby boom is endangering Iran since Iran is a young country."

He noted that Iran's family planning program has been successful in reducing the birthrate, adding that Iran is a model for other developing countries.

Mosleheddin stated that the young generation has reached the age of marriage, so Iran could face a rising birthrate and public participation is required to prevent this.

The UN has invested 11 million dollars to carry out a five-year UNFPA plan in Iran. The UNFPA is carrying out three joint projects with the Health Ministry in Sistan-Baluchestan, Bushehr, Kordestan, and Golestan provinces and in the town of Islamshahr in the fields of prenatal health care and family planning.

Mosleheddin said that implementation of these joint projects is an important measure which can lower the birthrate in these areas.

According to the latest statistics released by UNFPA, the world population is 6.2 billion, with 85 percent residing in developing countries. Over 1.1 billion people live on less than one dollar per day in developing countries.

The birthrate is rising in developing countries, but in developed countries it is decreasing. The population is even declining in some developed countries.

Iran's population is over 65 million. If each Iranian family has more than two children, the population will surpass 90 million in less than 20 years, according to Dr. Abbassi, a professor of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Tehran University.

Mosleheddin said that in regard to reproductive health care and the family planning program, the Iranian government has taken significant measures over the past two decades, adding that Iran's achievement in reducing the birthrate has indeed been wonderful and remarkable.

He stated that developing countries should learn from the success of the Islamic Republic of Iran, adding that population growth dropped to 1.47 percent in 1996 from 3.2 percent in 1986. He said that the figure is now 1.2 percent according to Health Ministry estimates.

Mosleheddin said, "The Health Ministry has named this decade the Decade of Population Crisis and has called for all ministries and state organizations to join hands in taking the necessary steps within their respective mandates to settle the economic, social and cultural consequences resulting from having a young population. "This initiative is in fact important and timely as the population question is of a multi-dimensional nature. The problems related to the population issue can only be solved through interdepartmental collaboration and the cooperation of all relevant organizations."

The dean of the University of Welfare Sciences, Mohammad Joghtaei, said, "The current decade is the most critical time for the country. Fifty percent of the population is under 20 and about 5 million are elderly, while the active population consists of only 30 percent. "The population boom is a factor hindering development. The youthfulness of the population has some negative effects in addition to positive ones. Rising unemployment is a negative point."

He concluded by saying that the rise in both the elderly and young sectors of the population will be a major problem in the next two decades in Iran.