John Bongaarts, Vice President and Distinguished Scholar, Population Research Council
When |
Nov 14, 2016
from 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM |
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Where | 1101 Morrill Hall |
Contact Name | Jennifer Doiron |
Contact Phone | 301-405-6403 |
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About the Presentation
Over the past half century, the total fertility rate of Asia and Latin America have declined from 6 births per woman to near replacement. In contrast, the fertility transition in sub-Saharan Africa occurred later and is proceeding at a slower pace. As a result of continuing high African fertility and declining mortality the UN projects the sub-Saharan population to grow from 1 billion in 2015 to 4 billion in 2100. Such an unprecedented expansion of human numbers will create a range of social, economic, and environmental challenges and makes it more difficult for the continent to raise living standards. In this talk I examine the wide ranging benefits of fertility decline and the policy options available to accelerate the transition. Particular emphasis is given to the potential impact of family planning programs which remain weak in much of Africa.
About the Speaker
John Bongaarts is Vice President and Distinguished Scholar of the Population Council. He holds a PhD in physiology and biomedical engineering from the University of Illinois and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Population Dynamics at the John’s Hopkins School of Public Health. Bongaarts’ research has focused on a range of population and health issues, including the determinants of fertility, projecting mortality trends, and population policy options in both the developed and developing world. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, and is a Laureate of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.