[misc.headlines.unitex] National population conference opens in kenya

unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/19/89)

National population conference opens in kenya

     Posting Date: 09/18/89      Source: UNITEX Network, Hoboken, NJ, USA
     Host: (201) 795-0733          ISSN: 1043-7932

     Xinhua News Agency, SEPTEMBER 13, 273 words, DATELINE: nairobi)

     kenyan president daniel arap moi today warned his countrymen
     that economic progress will not lead to the improvement of
     people's life if the current population growth of 3.8 percent
     continues.  opening the second national leaders' population
     conference here, president moi called for cooperation from
     ordinary people with the government's family planning programme,
     saying that the greatest challenge his government faces today is
     to influence the attitude of the kenyan people towards having
     smaller families.  he attributed the rapid population increase
     to reduced child mortality rate and longer life expectancy. the
     number of deaths among infants under the age of one year has
     declined from 184 per thousand in 1948 to an estimated current
     figure of 80 while life expectancy has risen from 35 years to 54
     today.  kenya's population has been growing at an annual rate of
     3.8 percent since 1979. the population is estimated at 23.5
     million at present. if the trend continues, the population would
     be 35 million by the end of the century.  president moi said
     although the fertility rate among kenyan women dropped from 7.7
     in 1984 to 6.7 this year, it is still much too high. he called
     on kenyans to intensify family planning.  also addressing the
     three-day conference today was kenyan vice-president george
     saitoti who noted that the country's economy must achieve an
     annual growth rate of 5.6 percent by the year 2000 in order to
     provide the basic needs to the fast growing population.  over
     the past three years, kenya's economy has been growing at an
     average annual rate of 5.1 percent.

 * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)


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