A three week seminar on population and development for African Countries organized and sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce in China (MOFCOM) and executed by the China Training Center for Reproductive Health and Family Care (CTC) has ended in Beijing and Taicang cities in the People's Republic of China.

The seminar was held from the 9th - 29th of July 2012. The participants of the seminar include about 12 African countries such as Liberia, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Mauritius, Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. The Liberian delegation includes, lawmaker Hon. Larry P. Younquoi, Madam Miatta K. Kiawu and Mr. Stevenson T. Seidi, Executive director and President of the Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia respectively.

According to a release, district eight(8) Representative of Nimba County and Chairman on the House Standing Committee on Planning and Economic Affairs, Hon. Larry P. Younquoi who headed the Liberian delegation also served as keynote speaker for the 2012 World Population Day which was celebrated by the Chinese Government in collaboration with the UNFPA in China.

The release quoting Representative Younquoi as saying that developing countries are still grapping with the reality of inadequate access to reproductive health services for their population especially for women and girls.

The release further said that the Nimba Lawmaker who is also a professional demographer alluded that there is still a high incidence of maternal and infant mortality rate in some African countries and this needs to be addressed. He also noted that there is an acute limitation of information to the youth about their sexuality.

The release further pointed out that Hon. Younquoi also lamented the increase in teenage pregnancy which results to unwarranted children because of the lack of knowledge and consequently leads to risky sexual behaviors.

He stressed that reproductive health services often result into high level of unmet needs among the sexually active population of developing countries.

The release emphasized that Representative Younquoi said, Liberia a country just emerging from destructive civil war, stands to immensely benefit from collaboration from South-South Cooperation once the opportunity is given.

The release indicated that Hon. Younquoi concluded by asserting that the state of affairs in developing countries in respect to SRH&R will continue to degenerate unless there is a reorientation in the way population issues are addressed globally.

Meanwhile, the seminar ended with visitation of the participating delegations to important sites relevant to the occasion in the People's Republic of China.