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UNFPA welcomes Africans' commitment to population programs

Posted on: Thursday, 18 December 2003, 06:00 CST

UNFPA welcomes Africans' commitment to population programs

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Tuesday that it welcomed the strong appeal of African experts for greater investments in population programs, commitment to poverty reduction and economic development on the continent.

"This is a clear stand by African experts on the actions that are vital to poverty reduction and development in their continent, " said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA's executive director.

"Evidence from Asia and Latin America already shows that countries that invest more in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning, have advantages that contribute significantly to economic growth, and reduce poverty," he added.

At the Fourth African Population Conference held in the Tunisian capital last week, many African experts stressed that investment in population was fundamental in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. They called on Africa's development partners to accord population greater priority in decisions on poverty eradication and sustainable development.

"It is clear, looking for instance, at the experience of Tunisia shared at the onset of the conference, that population and reproductive programs can be successfully implemented with demonstrable results, and poverty overcome," said Fama Hane Ba, director of UNFPA's Africa Division.

The UNFPA is the world's largest multilateral source of population assistance, providing support to some 150 developing countries to meet reproductive health needs and promoting development efforts.

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