From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:AFRICA: POPULATION CONFERENCE SETS AMBITIOUS TARGETS
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 01:16:31 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Asia, eastern
Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: AFRICA: POPULATION CONFERENCE SETS AMBITIOUS TARGETS


dakar, december 14 (ips/peter da costa) -- africans meeting
here adopted saturday a declaration committing themselves to
reducing national population growth rates from the current three
percent to 2.5 per cent by the year 2000.

the pledge is contained in the dakar declaration on
population, family and sustainable development, which
spelled out the link between population issues and those of
economic growth and sustainable development.

the declaration called for accelerated use of modern
contraceptives and fertility regulation techniques including
traditional and natural methods ensuring choice, with a view to
doubling the regional contraceptive prevalence rate (cpr) from
about 10 to about 20 by the turn of the century.

reflecting the theme of self-reliance that is now
underpinning african development rhetoric, the declaration
mooted the possibility of contraceptives being produced
within the continent.

it aimed to: raise life expectancy from 51 to at least 55
years, cut infant mortality to less than 50 per 1000 live
births, slash maternal mortality by at least 50 per cent,
and lower childhood mortality to 70 per 1000, all by the end
of the decade.

the declaration, drawn up by a four-day meeting of experts
which preceded the third african population conference,
urged that national programmes include quality family
planning services and studies aimed at eradicating unsafe
abortion -- estimated as the culprit behind 30-50 percent of
africa's maternal mortality.

programmes to combat the spread of aids, said the
declaration, must be strengthened and where absent
established, with special focus being given to high-risk
groups.

women and the family are given a central role in the
implementation of population targets laid down by the
kilimanjaro programme of action adopted in 1984 at the second
african population conference in tanzania.

in recognition of the critical roles of women in family
formation and their major contribution to social economic
development, it read, ''rights, status and needs of women,
particularly in the areas of education, employment, and
health care services should be explicit in all national
development planning. (more/ips)


africa: population (2)

''certain traditional, cultural and religious practices which
inhibit women's effective advancement and participation in
development must be tackled alongside moves to wipe out
sexual discrimination''.

the dakar declaration also addressed the issue of refugees
and displaced people. it called for the elimination of the
underlying causes of the refugee situation through
negotiation, conflict resolution, democatization, and
respect for human rights, and urges thay refugees be
included in population-oriented development plans.

in calling for the ratificaton of continental pledges toward
assisting children the declaration falls in line with a
recent organisation of african unity (oau) consensus.

data collection, training and research, information
education and communication programems are also prioritised.

some 50 african countries were represented at the two-day
ministerial meeting, which called on all organizations with
a role to play to cooperate with the economic commission for
africa (eca) in implementing the dakar declaration.

the conference also requested donor countries and agencies
to increase the resources they provide to the u.n. fund for
population activities (unfpa) for its work in africa.

the conference -- organised by the eca, oau and unfpa in
collaboration with the african development bank and the
union for african population studies -- was convened to
prepare a common african position for the 1994 international
conference on population and development to be held in
cairo, egypt.

(story received incomplete)
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