World population to hit 7B in 2011

In 1987, the world population was estimated at five billion. Twelve years later, another billion people were added, and experts say that by this year, the population of the world will reach, a number that is supposed to take 200 years for somebody to count out aloud.

The Philippine contribution to this number is around 94 million on the low side, and 100 million on the high side, making the us the 12th most populous country in the world. This ranking is expected to go up when the local population reaches an estimated 102.5 million to 108.5 million, depending on the initial figure used, four years from now.

And the possible effects of this population growth were tackled at a recent press conference at Crowne Plaza by the Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc., headed by its president and PopCom Commissioner Benjamin de Leon, with a panel of guests led by Health secretary Enrique Ona, National Anti-Poverty Commission secretary Joel Rocamora, celebrity host and HIV and AIDS prevention champion Boy Abunda, youth sector representative Lady Lisondra, and UNFPA representative in the Philippines Ugochi Daniels.

In a paper Population, Economy, and Poverty, written by Dr. Ernesto Pernia, a UP School of Economics professor and a former lead economist for the Asian Development Bank, he talked of the researches made about the correlation of these factors and a common view arrived at was “the rapid population was more likely to hinder than foster economic development.”

“Our health situation, the state of our environment, our economy, the future of our children and youth, and our development as a nation are all linked, that is why we need to have more sustainable population and development programs and policies,’’ said De Leon.

Daniels calls reaching the seven-billion mark as both a challenge and an opportunity, citing the celebration of the World Population day on July 11 as a means to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, particularly in the context of overall development plans and programs and the need to find solutions.

“It is not just about number but the need to improve the living standards for people today, as well for generations to follow. Protecting reproductive health and rights is fundamental to our collective future and sustainable development. Here in the Philippines, about two million babies are added to the population every year with the poor women bearing the brunt as they average six children, two more than they desire due to lack of access to family planning information and services,’’ she added.

Which led to the subject matter of the Reproductive Health Bill pending in Congress, at the same time that the rising incidence in HIV and AIDS cases in the Philippines emerged , this from Abunda, taking off from what Daniels cited that the Philippines is one of seven countries reporting to the United Nations where cases rose by over 25 percent from 2001 to 2009 even as the numbers are on the decline in most of the rest of the world.

According to Abunda, the key is in educating people about HIV and AIDS, similar to the need to educate mothers on family planning and “that is why I am committed to make a lot of noise about this matter, just for the month of May this year, there were 184 reported cases of HIV compared to last year’s 153, and we are only talking of those reported cases, how about the unreported ones where people are too ashamed to reveal that they are suffering from this, not knowing that there are things that can be done for them?” said Abunda. –Lito Cinco, Manila Standard Today