3. The world’s population is increasing rapidly, especially
in developing countries like the Philippines. This
brings about enormous problems relating to adequate
food supply, availability of land and water, energy and
acceptable standards of living for the majority of the
population.
4. In 1994, representatives from 179 countries convened to form an
international agreement to put population concerns at the center
of all economic, political and environmental activities. The goal
was to address the critical challenges and interrelationships
between population and development. Collectively, the
International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD) has agreed on the following programs of
action:
Universal access to primary education
Reduction of infant and child mortality
Reduction of maternal mortality
Access to reproductive and sexual health services including
family planning
5. After five years of program implementation, the ICPD
program of action was reviewed and additional 4
programs were included to benchmark on the
following:
Education and literacy
Reproductive health care and unmet need for
contraception
Maternal mortality reduction
HIV/AIDS prevention
6. The member states of the United Nations including the Philippines
met in September 2000. the body adopted the Millennium Declaration,
which is actually a commitment of the international community to
sustain social and economic progress in all countries. The development
goals are as follows:
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve women’s reproductive health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop goals partnership for development
7. How far has the Philippines gone in achieving the ICPD and
MDG? The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey has
statistical data to show and to report the achievements of the
program as well as the unmet needs
In terms of universal access to reproductive health services, the
2003 NDHS reports that fertility is highest among the less
educated, the poor, and those in the rural areas. The actual
fertility is higher than the desired fertility. Over 60% of currently
marries women want to have 2.5 children (actual fertility rate)
but the total fertility rate is 3.5 per woman. This could be
explained by the fact that those who were surveyed really
intended to have fewer children but did not use any family
planning methods, religion, access to free services, men’s
participation in reproductive health and poverty.
8. Maternal mortality is reduces due to antenatal care visits of the
mothers to clinics and the birth occurs in health facilities rather
than at home where rural folks normally do.
In dealing with HIV/AIDS and other diseases, the 2003 NDHS
survey showed a high level of awareness but misconceptions still
flourished. Two of the misconceptions are on HIV transmission
through sharing of food with someone infected with virus and
mosquito bites. These misconceptions add to the discrimination
and stigmatization of people living with the infection
The survey also showed the overall practices and attitudes of
Filipinos with communicable diseases such as dengue fever,
leprosy and malaria and non-communicable diseases such as
cancer and diabetes.
9. Most of the respondents are aware of dengue
prevention through removal of breeding places of
mosquitoes, elimination of mosquitoes, use of
mosquito places nets, mosquito coils and intake of
medicines
Twenty Six Percent (26%) of those who were surveyed
are not aware that leprosy spreads from one person to
another through skin-to-skin transmision.
10. Filipino households are said to be knowledgeable about
non-communicable diseases such as cancer whose
symptoms may be a lump or a mass; diabetes which could
be acquired through eating sweets and fatty foods which
leads to obesity, which in turn makes the person prone to
develop diabetes mellitus II
The government, in its effort to attain the development
goals, can only do so much. People need to cooperate,
learn, participate and avail the benefits from the various
programs which are actually designed to uplift their
standards of living and live a happy quality life.
12. Why rapid population growth is a
problem? Population growth remains rapid in many poor countries. For example, the population of
West Africa is expanding at an annual rate of 2.6 % and is expected to more than
quadruple in size by the end of the century. The projected addition of one billion people
to the region’s current population of 320 million is an obstacle to development and
makes it difficult to be optimistic about the future of this and other regions with similar
demographic and socio-economic conditions. There are several reasons for concern:
-Environmental degradation: Global environmental problems (e.g. climate change,
decreasing biodiversity) receive much media and scientific attention in the West, but are
not a high priority for policy makers in poor countries, except where substantial
populations live in low lying coastal areas (e.g. Bangladesh). Instead, most developing
countries have critical local environmental problems that require urgent attention,
including shortages of fresh water and arable land, and water, air and soil pollution.
Environmental stresses have been building up over time and are likely to become much
more severe as populations and economies expand further.
-Economic stagnation: In poor societies population sizes often double in two or three
decades. As a result, industries, housing, schools, health clinics, and infrastructure must
be built at least at the same rate in order for standards of living not to deteriorate. Many
communities are unable to keep up, as is evident from high unemployment rates,
explosive growth of slum populations, overcrowded schools and health facilities and
dilapidated public infrastructure (i.e. roads, bridges, sewage systems, piped water,
electric power, etc)
13. In addition, rapidly growing populations have young age structures. The resulting low
ratio of workers to dependents depresses standards of living and makes it more difficult
to invest in the physical and human capital needed for expanding economies. The size of
the formal labor force is also limited by the need for women to remain at home to take
care of large families.
-Maternal mortality: High birth rates imply frequent childbearing throughout the
potential reproductive years. Each pregnancy is associated with a risk of death, and this
risk rises with age of the mother and the order of the pregnancy. In the least developed
countries the life-time risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is near 5% and many
more women suffer related health problems or disabilities.
-Political unrest: Half the population of the least developed world is under age 20.
Unemployment is widespread because economies are unable to provide jobs for the
rapidly growing number of young people seeking to enter the labour force. Vigorous
competition for limited numbers of jobs leads to low wages which in turn contributes to
poverty. The presence of large numbers of unemployed and frustrated males likely
contributes to socio-economic tensions, high crime rates and political instability.
Of course, population growth is not the only or even the main cause of poverty in the
developing world. Nevertheless population growth has pervasive adverse effects on
societies and hinders development efforts. Poor countries would be better off with lower
population growth rates.
17. Population growth has outstripped increases in
food production.
The per capita food production DROPPED because of
high population growth rate.
18. It is estimated that at lea half of our children are either
MALNOURISHED or UNDERNOURISHED.
If we are to avoid having billions of people alive but
INADEQUATELY FED, we will need to at least triple
the present food supply.
19. This could be enhanced by
bringing new land under cultivation
making better use of land already cultivated
increasing the food supply of food taken from water sources
from
producing non-agricultural food
improving the processing and distribution of food
persuading people to eat food
NOW COSIDERABLE INEDIBLE & WASTED
20. MORE schools, classrooms and other materials to be
needed by the children.
The quality of education is difficult to measure.
21.
22. Substantial portion of the effort and money devoted.
to primary education is wasted.
Statements on record by the Secretary of Education
Jesli Lapus lament a
23. Why rapid population growth is a
problem?
Population growth remains rapid in many poor
countries. For example, the population of West Africa
is expanding at an annual rate of 2.6 % and is expected
to more than quadruple in size by the end of the
century. The projected addition of one billion people
to the region’s current population of 320 million is an
obstacle to development and makes it difficult to be
optimistic about the future of this and other regions
with similar demographic and socio-economic
conditions. There are several reasons for concern:
24. -Environmental degradation: Global environmental
problems (e.g. climate change, decreasing biodiversity)
receive much media and scientific attention in the West,
but are not a high priority for policy makers in poor
countries, except where substantial populations live in low
lying coastal areas (e.g. Bangladesh). Instead, most
developing countries have critical local environmental
problems that require urgent attention, including
shortages of fresh water and arable land, and water, air and
soil pollution. Environmental stresses have been building
up over time and are likely to become much more severe as
populations and economies expand further.
25. -Economic stagnation: In poor societies population
sizes often double in two or three decades. As a result,
industries, housing, schools, health clinics, and
infrastructure must be built at least at the same rate in
order for standards of living not to deteriorate. Many
communities are unable to keep up, as is evident from
high unemployment rates, explosive growth of slum
populations, overcrowded schools and health facilities
and dilapidated public infrastructure (i.e. roads,
bridges, sewage systems, piped water, electric power,
etc)
26. In addition, rapidly growing populations have young
age structures. The resulting low ratio of workers to
dependents depresses standards of living and makes it
more difficult to invest in the physical and human
capital needed for expanding economies. The size of
the formal labour force is also limited by the need for
women to remain at home to take care of large
families.
27. -Maternal mortality: High birth rates imply frequent
childbearing throughout the potential reproductive
years. Each pregnancy is associated with a risk of
death, and this risk rises with age of the mother and
the order of the pregnancy. In the least developed
countries the life-time risk of dying from pregnancy
related causes is near 5% and many more women
suffer related health problems or disabilities.
28. -Political unrest: Half the population of the least
developed world is under age 20. Unemployment is
widespread because economies are unable to provide
jobs for the rapidly growing number of young people
seeking to enter the labor force. Vigorous competition
for limited numbers of jobs leads to low wages which
in turn contributes to poverty. The presence of large
numbers of unemployed and frustrated males likely
contributes to socio-economic tensions, high crime
rates and political instability.
29. Of course, population growth is not the only or even
the main cause of poverty in the developing world.
Nevertheless population growth has pervasive adverse
effects on societies and hinders development efforts.
Poor countries would be better off with lower
population growth rates.
30. Population growth is a choice, not an inexorable
force of nature. If we wish to, we can keep our
population at sustainable levels. If we don't, the forces
of biology, technology and economics will keep us
growing. Our descendants will not see the stars at
night, have the prosperous lifestyles we can aspire to
today, know farms and forests, experience wilderness
and the incredible other species on the planet.
31. The Facts:
More than 7 billion people currently inhabit the planet,
compared to only 3 billion in 1967. Every year about 135 million
people are born and 55 million people die, adding 80 million to
our global population. That's about one United States every 4
years, or 1 billion more every 12 years. Almost half of the global
population is under the age of 25 and their decisions during their
reproductive years will determine whether we have 6 billion or 14
billion people by 2100.
Each person uses far more land than the few feet they actually
occupy. We use cropland to grow food, grazing land for meat and
dairy, oceans for fishing and oxygen generation, forests for
lumber and carbon sequestration, and developed land for
habitation, transportation and commerce. This is our Global
Footprint. For an average European or American lifestyle, it is 10-
20 acres per person.
32. Population growth is a root cause
of many environmental and social problems:
These range from life-threatening to simply disruptive. They include:
Over 1 billion people do not have enough food and safe drinking water.
Global warming is disrupting our ecosystems and threatening billions of
people with dislocation.
Energy sources, from wood to oil, are becoming scarcer and harder to reach or
extract.
Due to population pressures, people now live in areas that are basically unsafe.
Hundred of thousands of people died in 2010-2011 because they lived on
floodplains in Pakistan or by the tsunami-prone coast of Japan.These regions
were sparsely populated 30 years ago.
Population growth shares complex ties to poverty and inequality, exacerbating
the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and complicating access to Earth's
finite resources.
In the U.S.alone, sprawl destroys 2.2 million acres of farmland, ranchland and
forest every year.
Americans spend an average of 55 workdays (2200 hours) per year stuck in
traffic.
33. The solutions are things we should
be doing anyway:
As Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Unlike plagues of the
dark ages or contemporary diseases we do not
understand, the modern plague of overpopulation is
soluble by means we have discovered and with
resources we possess. What is lacking is not sufficient
knowledge of the solution but universal consciousness
of the gravity of the problem and education of the
billions who are its victim."
34. Here are 5 things that will reverse
population growth nationally and
worldwide.
Empower women and families to plan how many
children they want. About 200 million women in the
world would prefer to delay having children but do not
have access to contraceptives and reproductive
healthcare. With modern life-saving medicine has
come modern contraception. We need to provide
services and accurate information to the people who
really want it, and elect politicians who promise to do
so both in the United States and worldwide.
35. Education and job opportunities, especially for
women. These are critical components for alleviating
poverty, gender inequality and overpopulation. Studies
have found that when women have
more education and job opportunities, they choose
to have smaller families, and are able to invest more in
each child which helps break the cycle of poverty. Ask
our politicians and international organizations to help
provide education and jobs worldwide.
36. Awareness of environmental and social cost of
overpopulation. Our population is already above a
sustainable level, and in many regions well above a safe and
prosperous level. As people became aware of this in the
60's and 70's many people chose to have smaller families.
Kids are truly wonderful, and caring for them is a
challenging and rewarding experience. But parents can
keep in mind that every person must be cared for within
the constraints of the local and global environment.
37. Social norms. Refrain from pressuring people to have
children if they are not ready or prefer to remain childless.
Some cultures value large families. This often suited a
sparsely-populated farming or pastoral region, and
sometimes remains as a holdover from those times.
Measures can be taken to model and emphasize the
benefits of smaller families. Let's not glorify teen
pregnancy with TV shows and tabloid magazines.
Additionally in affluent countries, we need to shift away
from a culture of excess and unsustainable consumption.
38. Economic forces. Most people take their economic situation
into consideration when planning their families. If they do not
have housing and jobs they delay starting families. Birthrates
rose during the housing bubble begining in 2002, but when the
bubble burst and the 2008 recession began, birthrates dropped.
Better economic policies in conjunction with slowing population
growth worldwide, can help increase global prosperity. Our usual
measure of economic progress, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
has a built-in tie to population growth (i.e. more people means
more economic transactions). This means GDP can rise with
population while median household income (and well-being)
actually declines! With the wrong measures we set the wrong
goals.
