UNFPA: 8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities
This Wednesday, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), released the State of World Population Report 2023.
The analysis “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities, the Case for Defending Rights and Choices”, focuses on reproductive health, describing how to build prosperous and inclusive societies, regardless of population size.
The UNFPA report
The UNFPA report notes that the current size of the global population is not a calamity, illustrating that more people are living longer and healthier.
The UNFPA representative in Geneva, Mónica Ferro, spoke to UN News about how to act in the face of contemporary demographic reality.
"Our report shows that people today are still not able to reach their reproductive goals due to unintended pregnancies, lack of contraception or quality obstetric care, infertility, economic instability among many other challenges."
“It also shows that environmental and economic challenges cannot be solved with demographic engineering, trying to increase or decrease the population”.
"Rather than instituting policies to influence people's choices, governments should work to empower them to achieve their individual reproductive goals."
The representative recommends greater resilience in policies that support the sustainable development of human rights and provide more power for people to fulfill their reproductive ideals and have general well-being.
individual choice
"The time has come for us to try a new approach."
“A vision of the population that puts people at the center. It is time to put fears aside, to move away from demographic goals towards demographic resilience”.
"It's the ability to adapt to fluctuations in population growth and fertility rates, which have taken place throughout history and will continue to do so."
"This implies investing in data collection that looks at and beyond population sums and fertility rates."
"Which means asking the right questions such as whether people can get away from their fertility goals."
UNFPA argues that analyzing the rate of population change should lead governments and societies to create policy tools based on individual choice and reproductive rights in favor of resilience in the face of demographic change.
“We need to radically change the way we talk and plan for these population dynamics. Fertility rates are neither the problem nor the solution.”
“We have to look in a more integrated way at the deep causes and at the proven functions for the challenges of our societies”.
“All countries must uphold human rights and must strengthen health care and pension systems, promote active and healthy aging, promote the human rights of immigrants and seek to mitigate the effects and promote adaptation to climate change”.
The UNFPA report highlights maternal mortality among health indicators. Among Portuguese-speaking countries, Guinea-Bissau has the most deaths: 725 for every 100 live births. Angola follows, with 222, and Timor-Leste registering 204 deaths.
Universal health access
In Mozambique, maternal deaths reach 127 for every 100 live births, São Tomé and Príncipe 146, Brazil 72, Cape Verde 42 and Portugal 12 deaths.
Another parameter analyzed was data on access to universal health. Portugal leads the index with 84%. Then come Brazil with 75%, Cape Verde with 69%, Angola 68%, Timor-Leste 53%, Mozambique 47%, São Tomé and Príncipe 46% and Guinea-Bissau 37%.
The survey highlights the action of governments trying to influence fertility rates due to concerns about demography. For best results, the recommendation is that women be able to choose the moment to bear their children.
Several countries have acted to promote demographic resilience, helping to “overcome alarmist responses and embrace the dynamic opportunities available, regardless of how populations are changing”.
The UNFPA document argues that forced population growth or decline will not solve global economic and environmental challenges. The best way to manage demographic change is to promote gender equality around the world.
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Picture: © 2023 UNFPA
