Let's harness growing population to secure a brighter future for all

Amid current climate crisis, we must understand each nation's demographic trends and plan sustainably. [iStockphoto]

This month the world population hit the 8 billion mark, having grown by 1 billion people since 2010 and is projected to surpass 9 billion by 2037. This unprecedented growth is due to increased life expectancy, people living healthier and longer due to advancements in public health, vaccines, nutrition, standards of living and poverty reduction.

In Kenya, with an estimated 50 million people which translates to 0.6 per cent of the 8 billion people, has grown steadily from about 8 million in 1963 with improvement on the average life expectancy from 48 to 67 years.

In 1963, one in seven children died before their 5th birthday but today we have reduced child and maternal mortality. This progress, realised over 59 years, makes Kenya on a path to prosperity where no child should die before their 5th birthday and no woman dies while giving birth.

A country's population is considered a valuable resource that contributes to development if they are placed at the centre of planning. At the same time, rapid population growth poses challenges to progress in social and economic development by necessitating an ever-increasing investment to meet a people's needs. In addition, continued population growth gives heightened urgency to efforts to ensure economic development while protecting and preserving the environment.

In Kenya, the principal challenges lie in ensuring optimal utilisation of the youth's potential and their contribution to our nation's aspirations and goals. In Kenya, 75 per cent of our population is below age 35. The demographic dividend should help us prosper. We are at this moment of our history as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupts the world order. As a nation, we are battling the youth bulge and the aspect of the triple threat; teenage pregnancy, new HIV/AIDS infections and gender-based violence.

Our resolve to address these challenges will help shape our demographic dividend. Strategic investment in sectors like education, universal health, infrastructure, housing, food security, climate change mitigation, science and technology will trigger a brighter future. As we mark progress in world population, an average Kenyan woman would have 8 children in 1963, but in 2022, she is having 3 children. That means, our women have more time to participate in nation building, have healthier children and are realsing their full potential. This progress comes as we mark the 3rd anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 held in 2019 where Kenya made 17 commitments to achieve the 1994 Cairo Program of Action.

We should make the world a better place, more habitable, more equal and a place with enough resources for everyone as well as take care of our ecosystem while fighting the odds of climate change. If we focus on making use of our numbers to build back a better world, there are infinite opportunities for all of us.

As nations anticipate changing population dynamics, there is need for them to a build demographic resilience within applicable laws and moral standards that allow a more sustainable and prosperous world for all. This will ensure were are on track to realise the SDGs and 2030 Agenda.

Amid current climate crisis, we must understand each nation's demographic trends and plan sustainably. This will mean advancing critical thoughts on the social, political, environmental, and economic factors.

To build an inclusive society, we must look into the wellbeing of every citizen. Sustainable solutions to gender issues where, as we strongly build a strong girl child, we must also, with same energy, prepare the boy child in the same society. The young people, the women, the elderly, the differently abled all form a bulk of human capital whose contributions to making the world better cannot be ignored.

As we look towards sustainability, investment in proper policy informed by science and data is key to evidence-based decision making. All of us must remain alive to the fact that we owe this planet a positive contribution each day to a brighter future and a sustainable world. We owe every human being a chance to a longer and healthier life thus understanding and planning for future demographic changes is essential.