The Observer (Kampala)
Shifa Mwesigye
20 December 2007
opinion
Africa's rapid population growth is hampering the continent's ability to fight poverty, hunger, and disease.
This was the consensus of the Fifth African Population Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, where about 1,000 professionals discussed problems that threaten the continent's future.
Rapid population growth could lead to such poverty in Africa
"Africa may not achieve its noble objectives of improving the well-being and quality of life of its people if the issues of population dynamics are not adequately addressed," said Zanzibar's president, Amani Abeid Karume, while opening the conference last week.
Africa's population stood at 215 million in 1950 but in 50 years it has skyrocketed to 924 million in 2006. It is projected to reach 1.4 billion in 2025 and 2 billion in 2050, Karume said.
Several participants acknowledged that the sharp increase in population is due to the high fertility rate of African women.
African women have an average fertility rate of five children each, according to the Population Reference Bureau 2007 World Population Data Sheet. This is the highest of all the continents.
In Uganda, the fertility rate is nearly seven children per woman, one of the highest in Africa and the world. The country's current population is 28 million, but it is projected to jump to 117 million by 2050 - an increase of more than 300 percent.
Fertility is highest among the poor and uneducated, who have limited access and knowledge of family planning methods. Only 16 percent of the poor in Africa use family planning methods, compared with nearly half of wealthier people, according to Eliya Zulu, vice president of the Union of African Population Studies, which sponsored the conference.
In his speech, Karume explained that poor parents in Africa perceive having many children as a source of domestic and agricultural labour, as well as old age economic and social security for them.
He added that problems associated with rapid growth of urban poor populations have now become a nightmare for economic planners and developers, with all sectors affected. The result is more school dropouts, inadequate health services, and ever-expanding slum areas.
"We are faced with the fact that as urban population grows, the health and social consequences of poverty will spill over to the rest of the continent and beyond. This poses serious problems in security, economic growth and interstate relations," Karume explained.
On the health front, Africa's soaring population is aggravating the continent's health problems, especially malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The number of Africans living with HIV/AIDS now stands at 22.5 million and only a fraction of these are able to access anti-retroviral therapy.
AIDS prevalence in Uganda is now estimated at nearly 7 percent.
Hunger and widespread poverty have also intensified with increasing populations in Africa.
It was reported during the conference that almost half of all Africans live in extreme poverty while one third lives in hunger.
Yet estimates suggest that half of the continent's population will be living in urban areas by 2030.
Rapid population growth has also aggravated infant mortality.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, Uganda's infant mortality rate is 310 per 1,000 live births.
"Africa should take all necessary measures to safeguard the future generation," Karume noted. On his part, Koffi N'Guessan, president of the Union of African Population Studies, said that Africa needs to first accept that the state of its health is poor and then address the inequalities within and across the continent.
The conference brought together researchers, policy makers, practitioners and partners in the fields of population and development from Africa and beyond. The goal was to engage in scientific and policy discussions aimed at helping Africa tackle its population explosion and development needs.
The ultimate goal is to reduce poverty in Africa and also help the continent attain the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
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While overpopulation's ill effects are exaggerated in developing parts of the world, population growth does not lead to true prosperity anywhere in the world. It's good to see this message. Such a shame nations like the U.S., Russia, Japan, Germany and Scotland seem intent on increasing population in a misguided effort to stoke the fires of their economies.
Dave Gardner Producer/Director Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity www.growthbusters.com