Last year, the number of human beings passed the six billion mark, providing an opportunity to reflect on the dramatic curve of population growth in the last century. But it was also a time to marvel at the progress made: fertility declined by half in the preceding four decades; the status and quality of life of women increased in many countries around the world, access to family planning and other reproductive health services improved dramatically, and greater socioeconomic opportunities encouraged parents to raise fewer, but better-cared for children. Developing country governments came to realize the inextricable link between population and development and in many cases set population policies encouraging the use of voluntary family planning. The United States has historically been a worldwide leader in providing family planning assistance.
However much the use of family planning has grown, the desire for it far exceeds the current availability. Simply by providing access to services for all of the people who currently want them would reduce population growth by half over the next 50 years. This is an attainable goal. We know how to provide high quality family planning services in diverse settings. But to make this a reality, the developed countries must make good on their financial commitments at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. Since that time, developing countries have provided two-thirds of their committed funds, but the industrialized world has only produced one-third of its promised contribution.
Learning Objectives: The attendee will know the progress and challenges that face us in slowing the growth of the human population
Keywords: Population, International Family Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.