By the year 2005, most Africans will die before they reach their 48th
birthday, the fourth general assembly of the African Population Commission
(APC) heard this week.
Disease, the main killer, has become a risk to the national security of
African countries, threatening the very survival of some communities, the
conference in Addis Ababa was told. The spread of HIV/AIDS in particular,
and wars and poverty, have driven down life expectancy by 15 years in the
last two decades.
Lawrence Agubuzu, the assistant secretary-general of the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU) said many of the continent's 700 million population were
blighted by poverty, civil war and disease. Speaking at the opening of the
four-day conference, he said women and children were the most vulnerable
group, and their needs must be addressed.
"Today Africa is distinctly characterised by abject socioeconomic conditions
and unprecedented extreme demographic trends with far-reaching
consequences," he stated. "The population factor is at the centre of these
problems," he told delegates.
"The high population growth, coupled with an unstable political, social and
economic climate, and widespread poverty, are factors that jeopardise the
socioeconomic situation of African countries and contribute to the
degradation of the environment."
"The statistics of morbidity and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are very grim on
our continent," he added. "Suffice to say that because of HIV/AIDS, life
expectancy at birth and GDP have decreased significantly in badly affected
countries, and will continue to do so for many years."

SOURCE: IRIN Africa English reports, 11 February 2002