Ethiopia is among nine African countries whose rate of
population growth is declining. Others are Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda,
Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
Ethiopia has seen a massive cut in its fertility rate, from
an average of seven children per woman in the 1990s to 4.6 currently.
"Women stay longer in school, the standard of living is
increasing so people don't want to have too many children and more importantly,
family planning is becoming more popular," explains Faustin Yao, the
United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) representative to Ethiopia. As the
quality of life improves, people tend to have fewer children. More educated
women often mean fertility rates are lower.
In Ethiopia, the
availability of contraceptives has also played a big role.
"The increase in contraceptive use during 2000-2011
emerged as the single most important source for the recorded decline in TFR
(Total Fertility Rate)," said a UNFPA report.
However, a quarter of all women who need contraceptives are
still not able to get them. Health extension workers also regularly provide
health education in the villages, including information about contraception to
those who need it. The programme entails home visits by government-employed
community workers who engage families on a one-on-one basis. The big leap in
contraception use between 2000 and 2011 is largely attributed to health
extension workers.
Experts say reducing poverty rates also leads to a decline
in fertility.
"It's not the population growth that is the problem -
it's the extreme poverty that is the underlying reason," says Hans
Rosling, professor of international health at the Karolinska Institute in
Sweden. "If you continue to have extreme poverty areas where women give
birth to six children and the population doubles in one generation, then you'll
have problems."
A case in point is Niger, the country with the highest
fertility rate in the world - 7.6. It is also one of the poorest. The West
African country is projected to nearly quadruple its population from about 17
million to 66 million between now and 2050. Experts warn that this trend could
only spell more trouble for Nigeriens, half of whom are already without
adequate food and who are often hit by drought.
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