Rapid birth rate "undermining" economic recovery

The Ethiopian government faced calls on Wednesday to step up the distribution of contraceptives to help curb its spiralling population. Duah Owusu-Sarfo, acting head of the UN’s Population Fund (UNFPA), said the rapid birth rate was “undermining” the economic recovery of the impoverished nation. “We need to make sure the rate of growth of the population is commensurate with the development of the country,” he told a launch of the latest State of the World Population report in Addis Ababa. The report notes that the Ethiopian population has now topped 70 million. Ethiopia – reeling from a humanitarian crisis affecting 13 million people - has the third largest population in Africa. By 2050 it is estimated it will have reached 171 million. The government and international donors have acknowledged that the enormous population growth in the country is hampering the fight against food insecurity. Hiruy Mitiku, head of the government’s National Office of Population, said they were working in areas like education to help address the population boom. Just eight percent of the sexually active population were using family planning methods despite a growing demand for contraceptives, he said. “The rapid population growth rate is having an effect on the lives of people," he pointed out. "The government needs to do something to regulate the growth of the population.” Owusu-Sarfo said UNFPA was not advocating controlling population but improving the quality of life for impoverished families. He added that the US government's “gag rule” which restricts funding to organisations promoting abortions had hit UNFPA – despite the fact that it does not provide funds for abortions.