New Website on Urban Reproductive Health
A new website on urban reproductive health from the Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation Project highlights programs of the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa and India that expand access to and quality of family planning services to the urban poor. The website features selected research and publications on urban reproductive health, presentations, feature stories, and updates on activities. (November 2009)

Taking Stock of Reproductive Health and the Media—Interview With Women's Edition Journalists
On November 14, five of the 12 participants in PRB's Women’s Edition seminar sat down to discuss reproductive health issues, the impact of the Women’s Edition seminar, and the challenges and opportunities of being a woman journalist in their respective countries. (December 2008)

Africa Faces Mixed Progress, Daunting Challenges, in Improving Population Well-Being
Fertility has declined in many African countries from highs of six or seven children per woman down to about five children on average. But although African women use family planning more and bear fewer children, the continent's youthful population will fuel the continent's growth for many decades to come. Africa's 2008 population of 967 million is projected to grow to 1.9 billion by 2050, according to the 2008 Africa Population Data Sheet, published by the Population Reference Bureau and the African Population and Health Research Center. (October 2008)

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends

Female genital mutilation/cutting poses serious physical and mental health risks for women and young girls, especially for women who have undergone extreme forms of the procedure. According to a Population Reference Bureau data sheet, an estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting and more than 3 million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone. (September 2008)

PRB Discuss Online: "Sub-Saharan Africa's Demographic Giants: Ethiopia and Nigeria"
Ethiopia and Nigeria are sub-Saharan Africa's largest countries by far, with populations of 83 million and 144 million, respectively. They account for more than one-quarter of the continent's 788 million people, and are integral to its demographic future. Both are growing rapidly, and both grapple with widespread child malnutrition. This PRB Discuss Online focused on the challenges facing Ethiopia and Nigeria. Leading the discussion were Charles Teller, Bixby Visiting Scholar at PRB; Dr. Kolawole Oyediran, a sociology from Nigeria; and Dr. Assefa Hailemariam, a demographer-statistician from Ethiopia. Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (January 2008)

Immigration and America's Black Population

 Although far outnumbered by nonblack Hispanic and Asian immigrants, the number of black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean more than tripled between 1980 and 2005. This Population Bulletin looks at black immigrants to the United States—what countries they are coming from, which states and metro areas they are living in, and what factors affected their entry into the United States. (BUL62.4; December 2007)

Objections Surface Over Nigerian Census Results
Provisional results of the 2006 census in Nigeria show that Kano in the north is Nigeria's most populous state (9.4 million), followed by Lagos (9.0 million) in the south. Northern states account for 75 million people, while the southern states are home to 65 million. The total population was 140 million. Since December, when these provisional results were released, some Nigerians have rejected the numbers, while others have stood by them. (April 2007)

In the News: Results Trickle Out From the Nigerian Census
Nigeria’s population reached 140 million, according to provisional results of the Nigerian population census released in December 2006. The last census taken in 1991 surprised analysts because it came in low (89 million), prompting calls for a recount. But demographers say the 2006 census figure seems plausible. (January 2007)

In the News: The Nigerian Census
Protests, boycotts, charges of fraud, and murder greeted Nigeria’s headcount last month—its first in 15 years. But while census taking is a fraught exercise in Nigeria, a surprising number of other countries haven’t conducted a census since 1990. (April 2006)

PRB-UNFPA Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health 2005
PRB and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have jointly published the Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005. The volume, which updates the 2003 edition, contains national and subnational indicators on the demographic and social situation in 163 countries and subregions. (March 2006)

Polio Eradication Efforts Redouble After Startling Worldwide Outbreak
The resurgence of the disease, which began in 2003, appears to be under control. But questions remain about when polio can be eliminated globally, with routine vaccination rates in some developing countries not even reaching 50 percent of children age 5 and under. (December 2005)

Islam and Family Planning

 This policy brief gives an overview of Muslim countries' policies on and support for family planning and modern contraception. It reviews Islamic jurisprudence and justifications for sanctioning family planning. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (September 2004)

Delivery Care Is Key for Maternal Survival: A Story of Two States in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, 45,000 women die in childbirth every year, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund, and the World Health Organization (WHO). This represents the third highest estimated number of maternal deaths in the world. Only India and Ethiopia have more with 110,000 and 46,000 respectively. (December 2001)