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HIV/AIDS slows world population growth - report

    JOHANNESBURG

    A new report by the US Census Bureau states that AIDS-related deaths and lower birth rates are helping to slow global population growth, the Associate Press news agency reported.

    While the bureau forecast a world population of about 9.1 billion people by 2050 - an increase of nearly 50 percent over the 6.2 billion in 2002 - it said the growth rate was slowing significantly.

    HIV/AIDS has killed more than 20 million people to date. Twice as many people now live with the HI virus and, barring major medical breakthroughs, most of them are expected to die within the next 10 years, the report said.

    The bureau noted that the trend could reverse if AIDS education programmes in developing countries were expanded successfully, and pointed to positive signs in Senegal, Uganda and Thailand.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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