Koforidua (Eastern Region), 24 Oct. A 23-member Eastern Regional Population Advisory Committee was inaugurated at Koforidua yesterday by Dr Richard B.Turkson, Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC). The committee, under the chairmanship of Mr K.A.Gyarteng, Eastern Regional Co-ordinator, was charged among others to identify effective strategies to disseminate appropriate population data to relevant policy makers, planners and the general public. It is also to sensitize and create public awareness on population issues confronting the region and generate commitment among policy makers, opinion leaders and traditional rulers on the importance of population to development in the region. Dr Turkson said the NPC is taking steps under the government's decentralization policy to ensure the full integration of population factors into development projects at all levels. He said NPC has set up regional population advisory committees to develop a mechanism for institutional participation which would facilitate consensus-building and collaboration.