The tragic spread of Ebola virus in Africa has
been discussed at length as a failure of public health systems resulting from
inept governance and from poverty. However, a root cause of the epidemic lies
in the rapid and unchecked population growth in Africa. Unlike developing countries in other parts of
the world, African nations currently do not seem to be undergoing the
‘demographic transition’ that associates rising GDPs with falling fertility
(1). The rapid increase in population sets the stage for transmission of
diseases such as Ebola in two ways. First, by migration of people from
overcrowded agricultural land to forest areas where more contact with animal
disease vectors is possible. Second, by the ever-increasing populations in
congested urban slum area where disease transmission is facilitated. Effective
control of infectious disease epidemics in Africa (and elsewhere) must
including more aggressive family planning services.
(1)
Dyer,
G. (2013) http://www.straight.com/news/394516/gwynne-dyer-world-population-growth-and-african-exception.
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