by Erin Sines
(March 2006) 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.
The publication organizes its indicators by the following categories: population, socioeconomic and health conditions, adolescent reproductive health, gender equality, and reproductive health commodity security needs. The Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005 also provides data on internal disparities, highlighting differences within countries, between urban and rural areas, between the best and worst performing administrative regions, by education, and among different income groups.
Each country page features a population-policy profile that details current social and political contexts and policy priorities for that country. The volume places particular emphasis on poverty, inequity, gender, and HIV/AIDS; it also highlights the progress toward and activities related to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals. Actions currently taken to implement these policies are also detailed to illustrate the government's political will and priorities. And each regional section begins with an overview of key population, health, and policy issues facing the region.
Among the other features of the Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005:
- A graph of key population and reproductive health indicators related to the MDGs for each country.
- A table on each country's public expenditures on health and education, both per capita and as a percent of GDP.
- Indicators used for monitoring MDG and ICPD Programme of Action progress are highlighted, with data from both 1990 and the most recent value available also presented to allow users to track progress. Nine color maps present current global snapshots of MDG-related themes such as poverty, education, female leadership, child mortality, maternal death, HIV, access to safe water, and government debt.
Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005 will be published every two years with updated policy descriptions and indicators. The information is also available on http://www.unfpa.org/profile/index.cfm, where data are updated annually. The site allows users to conduct comparisons of up to four countries.
Erin Sines is a policy analyst at the Population Reference Bureau.