World Population Day 2017 is being observed across all countries Worldwide including Gambi
World
Population day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks
to raise awareness of population issues.
The event was established by the Governing
Council of the United Nations Development Programmed in 1989. It was inspired
by the public interest in Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987-approximately the
date on which the world’s population reached five billion people.
World Population Day aims at increase people’s
awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family
planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
While
press interest and general awareness in the global population surges only at
the increments of whole billions of people, the world population increases by
100 million approximately every 14 months. The world population reached
7,400,000,000 on February 6, 2016; the world population will reach
7,500,000,000 at 16:21 Z on April 24, 2017.[2]
10
interesting facts about population trends from around the world
World
Population Day 2017 is being observed across all countries today. Rising
population for some countries has become a matter of concern, for some it is
being seen as a demographic dividend. According to the UN’s World Population
Prospects:
The
2017 Revision, around 83 million people are being added to the world’s
population every year. It is projected that fertility levels across the world
will continue to decline in coming decades.
Even
then the global population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8
billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, the report says, adding the
population will grow older across the world in near future. But it will remain
relatively young for some time in countries where fertility is still high.
Here
are 10 interesting population trends from around the world:
1) A large number of youth in Japan have started to abstain from sex or avoid
relationships, say reports. A survey in 2011 revealed that around 61% of
unmarried men and 49% of women aged 18-34 were not in any kind of romantic
relationship. This was a rise of almost 10% from five years earlier, the
Guardian reported in 2013. A BBC report this year says that 43% of people aged
18-34 from Japan are virgins, and 64% of the same age group are not in a relationship.
Some of the reasons for this shared by the Japanese youth include being
intimidated by women, exposure to porn and traditional gender roles.
2)
China’s population is ageing. It is getting older, faster than anywhere in the
world. According to UN, China’s dependency ratio, which compares the difference
between those not part of the labour force to those working full-time, is
expected rise up to 44% by 2050.
3) the number of people aged 80 or more is
projected to triple by 2050, and by 2100 to increase to nearly seven times its
value in 2017.
4) European population to decline by 25
million by 2050 as compared to 2015: “Between 2015 and 2050, the excess of
deaths over births in Europe is projected to total 57 million, whereas the net
inflow of international migrants is expected to be around 32 million, implying
an overall reduction of Europe’s population by about 25 million.
5) India received over 1,00,000 migrants per
year between 2010-2015. Apart from India, other countries with a net outflow of
1,00,000 migrants per year in 2010-2015, excluding those dominated by refugee
movements, were Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, the Philippines and Spain.
6) Countries with the highest life expectancy
of 82 years or more for both sexes combined are Australia, Hong Kong SAR
(China), Iceland, Italy, Japan, Macao SAR (China), Singapore, Spain, and
Switzerland.
7) Countries with low life expectancy below
55 years include the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Lesotho,
Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Swaziland.
8) People to have a longer life: Life
expectancy to rise across the world. Globally, life expectancy for both sexes
combined is projected to rise from 71 years in 2010-2015 to 77 years in
2045-2050 and eventually to 83 years in 2095-2100.
9) Europe has most elderly people: In Europe,
25 per cent of the population is already aged 60 years or over and that
proportion is projected to reach 35 per cent in 2050 and 36 per cent in 2100.
10) An Average African woman gives birth to
at least four children, even as fertility is falling across the world. In
recent years, fertility has declined in almost all countries of the world. In
Africa, where fertility level is highest, total fertility has fallen from 5.1
births per woman in 2000-2005 to 4.7 in 2010-2015. In the same period,
fertility level also fell in Asia (from 2.4 to 2.2), Latin America and the
Caribbean (from 2.5 to 2.1), and Northern America (from 2.0 to 1.85). In
contrast, fertility level has increased in Europe from 1.4 births per woman in
2000-2005 to 1.6 in 2010-2015.
Why World Population Day is really about women?
There
are about 214 million women around the world who want to avoid pregnancy but
don’t have access to contraception, according to the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA). Addressing this unmet need is part of the inspiration for the
theme of this year’s World Population Day on Tuesday: “family planning.”
The
world has 7.6 billion people in it, and by 2023 the United Nations predicts
there will be more than 8 billion people who call the planet home. In Africa
alone, the continent with the highest fertility rate and lowest use of modern
contraceptives, 26 countries will double their population by 2050, according to
the U.N.
What
Do People Do?
World
Population Day aims to increase people’s awareness on various population issues
such as the importance of family planning, including gender equality, poverty,
maternal health and human rights. The day is celebrated worldwide by business
groups, community organizations and individuals in many ways. Activities
include seminar discussions, educational information sessions and essay
competitions.
Background
In
1968 world leaders proclaimed that individuals had a basic human right to
determine freely and responsibly the number and timing of their children. About
40 years later modern contraception remains out of reach for millions of women,
men and young people. World Population Day was instituted in 1989 as an
outgrowth of the Day of Five Billion, marked on July 11, 1987. The UN authorized
the event as a vehicle to build an awareness of population issues and the
impact they have on development and the environment.
Since
then, with the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) encouragement,
governments, non-governmental organizations, institutions and individuals
organize various educational activities to celebrate the annual event.
Symbols
The
UN logo is often associated with marketing and promotional material for this
event. It features a projection of a world map (less Antarctica) centered on
the North Pole, enclosed by olive branches. The olive branches symbolize peace
and the world map represents all the people of the world. It has been featured
in colors such as blue against a yellow background
For
further information UNFPA in the Gambia, UN office and Ministry of Health, send
email to azadehhassanmd10@gmail.com, send text only to Dr Azadeh
002207774469/3774469
Author
DR AZADEH, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Gambia, Senior Consultant
in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Clinical Director at Medicare Health Services.
