Wisely used, it will give countries time to plan for the years ahead. In developing countries the numbers of elderly people will grow very rapidly, far beyond the means of the traditional extended family to care for them. I hope that countries have learned how to use demographic information to formulate development policies. We now have more than 30 years experience, and we have a much better understanding of the relationship between demography and development. Policy makers must keep in mind that population growth, or the lack of it, is not significant in itself.
Demographics matter only as far as they have an impact on prospects for development.
The imperative is, and remains, human well-being. There is no reason to greet this prospect with anything but dread. The human reality is that some countries in Africa are losing a whole generation to AIDS, and others are greatly at risk. Diseases such as malaria and TB accompany the pandemic, help it to spread and make its effects more profound. Today, preventing HIV infection is a major challenge to sexual and reproductive health.