July 2010's Edition of
POPULATION ONLINE
Brings you stories on...

• World Population on Track to Reach 9.5 Billion by Mid-Century
  On July 28, the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) published its annual World Population Data Sheet, which is widely considered to be the most accurate source of information on population. PRB estimates world population for mid-2010 is now just under 6.9 billion and that it will reach the 7.0 billion mark next year, just twelve years after the 6.0 billion mark was reached.
• Boost for International Family Planning Assistance Advances
  On July 1, the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee approved $735 million for international family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programs, $20 million more than what President Obama requested in his budget. The increase, which includes $60 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was approved as part of a larger FY2011 appropriation bill for the State Department and U.S. foreign assistance programs.
• Senate Committee Votes for Permanent Repeal of the Global "Gag Rule"
  On July 29, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule. The amendment, which was adopted during consideration of the FY 2011 State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, would make it more far more difficult for a future administration to re-impose the restriction, which was used by Presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan to bar international family planning providers that provide or promote abortion services from receiving support from USAID.
• African Union Summit Focuses on Maternal and Child Health
  The African Union met in Kampala, Uganda recently for their annual summit and the focus this year was on maternal and child health. The gathered leaders agreed that it paid to invest in maternal and child health. They announced that they would be extending the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health, which promotes universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, until 2015. The leaders agreed that, "the provision of free access of women and children to health services," was not only desirable but should be the practice in all African nations.
• Hope for Women in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
  After years of research looking for a female controlled product to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, a study was released during the International AIDS Conference in Vienna that gives women of the world some hope. Research showed that a microbicidal gel that can be used secretly by women before and after sex made those women 39 percent less likely to contact HIV than the control group and that the women who used the gel most regularly reduced their chances 54 percent. This study could lead to a female controlled product that will help lower women's risk of a disease that is becoming more feminized.
• Iran Reverses its Population Policy
  After years of successful efforts to curb its population growth by offering free or very inexpensive family planning services and promoting the idea that "two children are enough" in their health centers, Iran is dramatically changing its population policy. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced a new policy to encourage population growth saying that previous family planning was ungodly and a Western import. The new policy will pay families for each child and deposit money into that child's bank account through their 18th birthday. This has the potential to undo the gains that were achieved under the old policy where population growth went from 3.9 percent a year in 1986 to 1.6 percent in 2006.
• 2010 Millennium Development Goal Report Shows Some Progress
  The 2010 Millennium Development Goal Report showed that, despite the global economic downturn, progress is still being made, but that the rate the improvement is not fast enough, if the goals are to be met by the 2015 target date. The areas where progress has been made include reducing extreme poverty, tackling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and boosting access to safe drinking water. Unfortunately, progress is still lacking in such critical areas as maternal health and increasing access to safe sanitation.
• Global Media Awards Deadline for Submissions is September 7th
  The Population Institute released the "Call for Entries" for its Global Media Awards (GMA) program. This year marks the 31st Anniversary of the GMAs. The program is a global competition that encourages participation from individuals and organizations in all continents and regions. This year's December award dinner, which will be held in San Francisco, will honor a wide range of journalists and media for their outstanding coverage of population, family planning and reproductive health issues. The awards serve to stimulate high standards of journalism and full and accurate reporting on issues related to population. By encouraging better coverage of population and development issues, the GMAs serve to educate policymakers, opinion leaders and the general public about the impacts of population growth and the benefits of ensuring that all women have access to family planning and reproductive health services. The deadline for submissions is September 7, 2010.