Population Reference Bureau PRB Discuss

Is Sub-Saharan Africa an Exception to the Global Trend Toward Smaller Families?

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the "last frontier" of fertility decline. Throughout the developing world (including China), the average number of children per woman has dropped from around six in 1965 to just about three today. But in sub-Saharan Africa, there are many countries in which fertility has fallen little, if at all. What's more, women in some sub-Saharan countries report that they want at least six children. Is sub-Saharan Africa likely to follow the fertility declines that characterized Asia and Latin America, or is this region different? Are there countries in sub-Saharan Africa where population growth rates have fallen and, if so, what makes them different from the rest? And what about HIV/AIDS: Will AIDS mortality contribute to slower population growth or will it cause a reversal of whatever gains have been made? Join Steven Sinding, senior fellow at the Guttmacher Institute and former director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, London, as he responds to your questions about the potential for fertility decline in Africa.

Steven Sinding

Why Are Stillbirths An Invisible Loss of Life in Developing Countries?

Each year more than 3 million stillbirths occur, and approximately 1 million of these occur after the onset of labor, but these deaths remain invisible in international and national policies, programs, and investment agendas. Stillbirths are rarely measured in large surveys, are not included in routine data reported to the United Nations, and are not tracked in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet MDG’s 4 and 5 (reducing child and maternal mortality, respectively) cannot be reached without improving newborn and obstetric care, which also affect stillbirths. What can be done to ensure that research, adequate monitoring, and program planning take stillbirths into account? Join Cindy Stanton, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as she discusses important issues surrounding stillbirths in developing countries.

What Are the Financial Implications of Aging in the United States?

The U.S. population is aging: The ratio of elderly to the working-age population in the United States will roughly double over the next few decades, straining the finances of the U.S. Social Security system and other government programs. Join Professor Ron Lee as he responds to your questions about the trends in mortality and aging in the United States, and the implications of population aging on government entitlement programs and the U.S. economy.

Katherine Scott

Growing up in North America: How Are Children Faring Economically?

Globalization helped increase incomes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico for more than 10 years, but left many children vulnerable economically. While they differ substantially on many economic indicators, the 120 million children living in North America face surprisingly similar problems, including: Comparatively high rates of child poverty, particularly among indigenous communities and racial or ethnic minorities; increasing income inequality; and lack of access to affordable housing, an adequate diet (particularly in Mexico), and health care (for millions in the United States and Mexico). Join Katherine Scott from the Canadian Council on Social Development, Nashieli Ramirez from the Children's Rights Network in Mexico, and Mark Mather from the Population Reference Bureau as they answer your questions about the economic well-being of children in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and strategies for alleviating child poverty.

Nashieli Ramirez Hernandez

Ron Lee

Demographic Divide: Diverging Population Growth Trends

More than 80 million people were added to the world's population in 2008, which ensures continued growth in coming decades. However, the increase is highly concentrated among the least developed countries, while more developed countries are growing little or even declining. These diverging trends will drive rapid aging in some countries and burgeoning youth populations in others. Join a discussion of what lies behind these current trends and the implications for future generations with Carl Haub and Mary Mederios Kent, authors of PRB's 2008 World Population Data Sheet. Carl Haub is senior demographer at PRB, where he holds the Conrad Taeuber Chair in Population Information. A long-time observer of world population, he brings a unique perspective to the current population situation. He will be joined by Mary Mederios Kent, senior demographic editor at PRB and author of numerous publications on U.S. and global population topics.

Caesarean Deliveries: Why Are They Key for Maternal Health in Developing Countries?

Caesarean delivery rates are rising among mothers in many developing countries, and likely exceed the 15 percent limit recommended by the World Health Organization in 2005. Caesarean deliveries are especially common in some Asian and Latin American countries, accounting for many as 40 percent of babies delivered - but not in Africa, where they account for just 2 percent of deliveries in some countries. Within countries, Caesarean deliveries tend to increase sharply with wealth. Less than 1 percent of women in the poorest households had Caesareans in many countries – below the minimum rate required to cover fatal complications. Rates are much higher among wealthy women – nearing 80 percent in some countries. What can we do to ensure that all women and babies have access to Caesareans for life-saving purposes and that health systems use their resources in the most cost-effective ways? Join Cindy Stanton, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as she responds to your questions about issues surrounding Caesarean deliveries in developing countries.

Cindy Stanton

Jason Bremner

Environmental Change: What Are the Links With Migration?

There are more international migrants today than ever before, with close to 200 million people living outside their country of birth. Internal migration, the movement of people within their own country, dwarfs international migration. Increasing numbers are refugees fleeing their homeland for another country, or are internally displaced within their own country. Human migration can have rapid and complex impacts on rural and urban environments and can pose great challenges to the conservation of the biodiversity and natural resources. At the same time, environmental change, such as drought and rising sea levels, is expected to force millions more people to migrate. Join Jason Bremner, program director for Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) at PRB, as he answers your questions about the relationships between migration and the environment, current trends, and future migrations related to environmental change. Jason has more than 10 years of experience in PHE programs and research and spent several years studying migration and environment links in the Galapagos and Amazon regions in Latin America.

Americans at Work: What Lies Ahead?

The aging of baby boomers and the fact that women's labor force participation has already peaked are expected to slow U.S. labor force growth in the near future. Globalization is also changing the size and composition of the U.S. workforce. Foreign-born workers have contributed 40 percent of the labor force growth between 1990 and 2000, and global corporate restructuring is shifting production from high-wage countries to low-wage countries. How have and how will these key demographic, institutional, and economic changes affect the composition of the U.S. labor force? Join PRB's Marlene Lee and Mark Mather as they answer your questions about the U.S. labor force and what lies ahead for American workers, based on their new Population Bulletin, "U.S. Labor Force Trends." Marlene A. Lee is a senior research associate and editor of the Population Bulletin and Mark Mather is associate vice president of Domestic Programs at the Population Reference Bureau.