The Africa Population Report has revealed that poverty, unemployment, poor health and malnutrition are some of the biggest challenges facing social growth and development on the continent. Speaking at the opening of the 6th General Assembly of the African Population Commission in Johannesburg on Monday, Deputy Minister for Social Development, Dr Jean Swanson-Jacobs, highlighted these issues and advocated a call to action. "Effective change will not come about merely by deliberating on population and development challenges in boardrooms and conference halls. Our agreements have to resonate in community-based actions," said the deputy minister. Delegates from various organisations such as the African Union (AU), United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Development Bank and African ambassadors and High Commissioners met to deliberate on the release of the State of the African Population Report 2006.



Africa's population was estimated at 924 million in 2006 and is expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2025. The expected population growth poses both social and economic challenges to Africa's sustainable development. Chairperson for the AU Commission, Professor Alpha Konare said: "In order to meet the poverty challenge and make notable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), population issues should be taken effectively into account in socio-economic policies and development plans." Ms Swanson-Jacobs confirmed the AU's message saying "the Commission takes place at a critical juncture in Africa's development course, as we are approaching the halfway mark towards the target date our leaders set in 2000 for the achievement of the MDGs in 2015."



Population, she said, was the most important asset and resource for any country and Africa must therefore strive to ensure it has a quality population in order "to reap the demographic dividend of its large youthful population by investing in their development and empowerment." She highlighted that 88 out of every 1 000 children born in Africa died before their first birthday with 60 percent of this figure attributed to malnutrition. Africa's high infant mortality rate coupled with poor maternal healthcare and HIV and AIDS has affected the levels of social and economic development on the continent. Commissioner for Social Affairs at the AU Commission, Advocate Bience Gawanaf, told delegates "as long as the HIV/AIDS and malaria pandemics continue unabated, maternal and child mortality remains high and women's status remains low we can be rest assured that 2015 will come and go without any remarkable progress achieved."



The state of the African Population report called for the AU to press for greater and more meaningful debt relief, debt cancellation, and more generous and predictable official development assistance. More favourable terms of trade and access to developed country markets was also essential for social and economic development as only through fair trade and "access to markets will Africa find real and long lasting answers to poverty eradication on the continent."