World Population Day – July 11, 2008
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Proud parents smile at their newborn daughter, Atikta Haoua
Riane, at her official naming ceremony or "indeeri" in Lagdo in
the Northern Province of Cameroon, 1 week after her birth.
Source: Rachel Hoy, Courtesy of Photoshare |
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Family Planning Matters
World Population Day is observed annually on July 11 to highlight the importance of family planning in the lives of women, communities, and the world.
The theme of this year’s World Population Day is "Plan Your Future, Plan Your Family" and focuses on the many ways family planning benefits women, families, and societies. When people can plan the size and spacing of their families, they can improve their health and that of their children. They can also improve their well-being and pave the way to brighter futures for themselves, their communities, nation, and environment.
USAID commemorates World Population Day by celebrating its 40-plus years as a world leader in supporting voluntary family planning programs in developing countries. USAID's programs have not only improved the lives of women and families, but have also improved the standard of living and economic growth for entire nations. Agency programs have generated lower fertility rates, increased use of family planning methods, helped in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and contributed to alleviating high levels of maternal and infant mortality. They have improved the health of women and their families and created more life options and opportunities.
Family Planning:
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A family standing in front of the Canlib bakery on the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines.
Source: Chris Mayo, Courtesy of IDRC/CRDI |
- Saves women’s lives. Family planning could avert one-quarter of the more than half a million maternal deaths that occur in the developing world each year.
- Saves children’s lives. Spacing pregnancies three to five years apart and limiting births to a woman’s healthiest childbearing years help women have healthier children and increase the likelihood that infants will survive and remain healthy.
- Reduces the stress on the environment. Human populations put pressure on their natural surroundings. At the current rate of growth, the world population is expected to rise by 2.5 billion in the next 43 years reaching a total of 9.3 billion in 2051. This growth will be concentrated in the poorest countries in the developing world. There, people will face shortages in food and water supplies, deforestation, and poorly managed urbanization and industrialization, all of which threaten human life and the world’s environment.
- Broadens women’s opportunities. Family planning can open the door to education, employment, and increased community involvement. Having fewer children means education is more likely for all family members – a particular benefit for girls. Enabling young women to avoid early pregnancy allows many to attend school longer, and as fertility falls, more women are able to join the labor force.
- Encourages adoption of safer sexual behavior. Family planning can and should be used in the fight to stop the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Learning sexually responsible behavior, including the ABCs (abstinence, being faithful, and correct and consistent condom use) can protect people against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Family planning programs also can help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
- Facilitates national development. Countries where couples have the number of children they can support and educate are nations that are better able to achieve sustainable development. Planned population growth means more time for governments to make the necessary investments in human development through education and health care, and allows them to spend more per person on these and other vital social services.
USAID Achievements in Family Planning
Since USAID's family planning program began in 1965, the average number of children per family in the developing world (excluding China) has dropped from six to four.
USAID provides 35 to 40 percent of donor-provided contraceptives to the developing world and voluntary family planning assistance in more than 60 countries through bilateral, regional, and centrally managed programs to help families plan the timing and spacing of their children.
Resources
Issue Briefs:
Success Stories:
To read more about the commemoration of World Population Day, visit the UNFPA site.
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