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A Call for Better Integrated Policies to Accelerate the Fertility Decline in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Author(s) -
May John F.,
Rotenberg Sara
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
studies in family planning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1728-4465
pISSN - 0039-3665
DOI - 10.1111/sifp.12118
Subject(s) - demographic dividend , demographic transition , fertility , window of opportunity , economic growth , empowerment , family planning , population , reproductive health , total fertility rate , business , development economics , economics , medicine , environmental health , real time computing , computer science , research methodology
To accelerate their demographic transition, sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries must trigger significant and rapid fertility declines. These fertility declines will open a demographic window of opportunity and enable countries to capture a first demographic dividend. Despite some successes, many programs aimed at decreasing fertility in SSA have yielded disappointing results. This commentary argues that better integrated policies will help to accelerate fertility declines in SSA. Such an approach should harness the synergies between a set of four key policy levers: women's empowerment; female education; family planning, reproductive health services, and universal health coverage; and legal reforms. These policy levers should be coupled with renewed commitment from leaders on the continent and increased investments in both family planning and population institutions. By concomitantly investing in these priorities and harnessing the synergies of these policy levers, countries in SSA have a critical opportunity to accelerate their demographic transition, which could help them reach emerging economy status.