Unit 4 AOS2 Population Issues and Challenges

Niger Issue

Growing population, 1950- 3% per year and increased from 2mil to 11 mil in 2000, rate increases to a peak of 4.25% in 2019, Since 2020 rates have fallen but pop continues to grow, estimated to keep falling. Median age of 15.2. Fertility rate of 7.2. Natural increase of 3.8%. Infant mortality rate= 60 per 1000

Niger Related Challenges

o Not many kids in school- (50% of children aged 7-16 are not in school, 31% of women and childbearing age are illiterate, preschool enrolment rates remain low at just 7%.)
o lack of access to contraception
o Lack of availability to food.
o Increasing wage gap
o Increasing gender divide
o Child Marriage- (76% of girls are married before the age of 18)

Distribution of Niger Issue

Worse in rural areas (further north especially into the Sahara) (Agadez, Zinder and Maradi Regions.)
(Mardi has a literacy rate of 15% compared 25% in Dosso and 40% in Niamey.)
(37% of rural women have access to contraception compared to 46% of urban women.)

Niger Issue Compared to World

o Overall literacy rate is 35% similar to Mali’s 25% and Mauritania’s 35%.
o Very low compared to 94% literacy rates in Europe and 73% in Asia.
o Birth rate is highest in the world and child marriage is third highest in the world.

Niger Local Response

o Husband School
137 Husband schools have been set up in the Zinder region of Niger since 2004. Aim is to educate men on reproductive health and how to be more supportive. Cultural views of hospitals and doctors have changed and in 2013 there was a 95% increase in women getting prenatal consults in the Zinder region. Cultural views changing have also doubled the amount of child births that have a doctor present. Social norms and conversations have changed allowing for safe deliveries to increase from 12% to 30%.
Antenatal visits increased from 28% in 2006 to 87% in 2010.

National Response

o Family Planning Policy
Government initiative that is aiming to achieve 50% prevalence of contraceptives in Niger. Does so by:
• Improving access to family planning services.
• Increasing demand for family planning.
• Promoting family planning.
Social/ Culturally they have changed opinions around contraception and have an additional 451,000 users (11%- 16.9% increase). Averted 115,000 unsafe abortions and 1100 maternal deaths by changing social views about family planning.

Australia Issue

o Aging population
20% of the entire population and is projected to continue growing to almost 25% in 2050. People aged 14 and below is going to decrease to 20% of the population in 2050 from almost 30% in 1970. Average age of 37.

Australia Challenges

o Financial strain
o Pressure on health care systems. 4% of GDP on health care, expected to double by 2050.

Distribution of Issue Around Australia

o Worst Around the edges near to the coast and in small towns.
o Areas such as Gippsland (mean age of 61.2), Hunter Valley (65.5) and wide bay (62) compared to an average of 36.8 in Melbourne and 35.4 in Canberra.

Comparison of Australia to World

o Similar to New Zealand, average age of 38 compared to Australia’s 37.
o Also similar to UK’s 40 and USA’s 38.
o Not similar to PNG’s 22 and Niger’s 15.4.

Australian Local Response

o Home and Support Services
Aims to provide a number of services to help older people who need extra help to live independently in their own homes and in the community. Provide older members of the community with cleaning, home maintenance, transport, and food services. Social- Freedom for older Australians. Economic/ social - less pressure on younger generations.

Australia National Response

o Mandatory Superannuation/ aged care pension
Allows for financial support for older Australians. Less pressure on younger generations. Economic- Allowed for less financial pressure on younger generations and an improved economic status in the country. Cultural- Changed ideas around expectations on children to provide for parents. Social- Better life for retirees now they have financial freedom.