African parliamentarians and policymakers have pledged to advance sustainable development across the continent in a bid to secure future of Africans.
The pledge has been made at the 9th African Population Conference which was held at Bingu wa Mutharika International Conventional Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi from 20th May 2024 to 24th May 2024.
In a press statement read at the end of the 5 days conference, the delegates highlighted significant achievements over the past three decades, such as increased life expectancy, greater gender parity in education, reduced maternal and child mortality, and expanded access to family planning.
“Building on the successes that the continent has registered so far, including average life expectancy increasing from 65 years in 1994 to more than 73 years in 2024; girls reaching parity with boys in primary and secondary school enrolment; women representation in government and other leadership positions increasing; maternal and child mortality declining by one-third; and family planning accessible to millions more women and couples,” reads part of the statement.
With 77% of Africa’s population under the age of 35 and projections that African youth will constitute 40% of the global youth population by 2030, the conference underscored the critical need to invest in young people. Education, skills development, and job creation have also been identified as essential strategies to harness the potential of Africa’s growing youth demographic.
The conference also discussed the challenges posed by rapid urbanization, high unemployment rates, and skills mismatches.
“Noting that rapid population growth without clear implementable plans and development agenda… undermines our resilience to the effects of climate change and puts immense pressure on our environment and natural resources,” reads the statement which has also emphasized the need for sustainable development plans to prevent exacerbating poverty and environmental degradation.
The conference culminated in a series of commitments from the attending parliamentarians, focusing on critical areas such as health, education, and economic development.
In the realm of health, the parliamentarians have pledged to improve healthcare access through decentralized systems and strengthened primary healthcare services. “Appropriate resources towards greater investments in healthcare to fast track the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) within our countries,” committed the parliamentarians, recognizing the urgent need for enhanced healthcare infrastructure in Africa.
The conference also placed an emphasis on prioritizing education and skill development to equip youths with digital and technological skills, alongside commitments to foster intra-Africa collaborative mechanisms for sustainable management of environmental and natural resources to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
Subjects of major concern also included environmental sustainability and climate change.
“The parliamentarians undertook to encourage sustainable management of Africa’s environment and natural resources through regional cooperation, thus preventing the adverse consequences of climate change,” they said in unison because such co-ordination was necessary in order to preserve the continent’s ecosystems.
The parliamentarians collectively swore to make Africa a hub for innovation, development, and prosperity.
The conference concluded with a unified pledge from the parliamentarians to transform Africa’s demographic landscape into a powerhouse of innovation, development, and prosperity.
The African Population Conference (APC) is the biggest scientific meeting on population issues in Africa, put up every four years by the Union for African Population Studies (UAPS)
This year, the conference was held under the theme: Road to 2030: Leveraging Africa’s human capital to achieve transformation in a world of uncertainty.
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