Population in Africa: trends, problems and policies
Joicfp Review 13: 28-29
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0911-0763 PMID: 12341262 Document Number: 351854
The population of Africa is expected to increase from 553 million in 1985 to 877 million by the year 2000 and to reach 1.64 billion by 2025 before eventually stabilizing at 2.2 billion in the 22nd century. Further population growth will reflect a combination of further improvements in mortality the continuation of moderately high fertility rates, and a young age structure. Another crucial aspect of Africa's demography is overurbanization (42% of the population will be in urban areas by 2000) without concomitant economic growth, social change, or industrial development. These demographic trends manifest themselves in 4 problems: 1) fetal wastage, infant deaths, child losses, shortened life expectancy, and a lack of motivation to live better; 2) frequent childbirth, combined with poverty, malnutrition, ill health, and an incapacity to provide for one's children; 3) social, political, and economic chaos resulting from overcrowding, unemployment, the spread of slums and squatters, inadequate infrastructure, and the breakdown of social services caused by overurbanization; and 4) inadequate land resources, and thus food insufficiency, resulting from deforestation, environmental stress, and resource constraints. The following policies are needed to respond to these problems: 1) an integrated package of policies and programs to improve infant, child, and maternal health; 2) an integrated package of measures to induce rapid reductions in desired family size and to make family planning services available; 3) a comprehensive program to improve the status, role, and participation of women in development activities; 4) an integrated approach to population and development that takes into account spatial and territorial planning; and 5) a program to develop manpower capacities through comprehensive training and transfer of technology and skills.