Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
9 July 2002
A number of celebrations will be held countrywide to commemorate World Population Day on 11 July 2002. The main event will be on World Population Day (11 July) when the country representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr. George Nsiah and the MEC for Health and Welfare in the Limpopo Province, Mr Sello Moloto, will open the commemorations at the New Jane Furse Hospital, Sekhukhune District, Limpopo.
The international theme for this year's celebration of World Population Day is: Poverty, Population and Development. "The emphasis will be on population development challenges facing the youth and the aged, with particular focus on issues such as poverty, sustainable environment and the effect of HIV/AIDS on communities. The fact that World Population Day coincides with the birth of the African Union and the holding of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa makes it even more significant and challenging," the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya said.
The UNFPA and the Department of Social Development initiated these nationwide activities to celebrate World Population Day that will end in August in Gauteng.
More than 200 stakeholders including donor representatives, heads of national and provincial government departments, the media non-governmental organisations and about 1 000 community members, young and old are expected to attend the occasion at the Jane Furse Hospital at 09:00 in the Limpopo Province.
Celebrations will be held in July in Mpumalanga, the North West Province, KwaZulu-Natal the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape and in Gauteng in mid-August.
The 2nd State of South Africa Population Report: "The Paradoxes of HIV/AIDS" will be released in October this year.
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