Uganda is set to host the 8th African population conference come November, David Bahati, the State Minister for Planning, has said.
Addressing journalists at Uganda Media Centre on Thursday, Bahati said that the conference will provide an opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing between researchers and policy makers on the continent.
“The Conference provides an opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing between researchers, policy makers programme managers, public health experts, international development partners and other key stakeholders in population and development field. This also means that any policies and programmes formulated are evidence based,” Bahati (pictured) said.
According to the organisers, the conference is aimed at facilitating disseminating and evaluat critically new research findings on emerging population issues and their implications for socio-economic development of Africa.
The conference is organized under the theme; ‘Harnessing Africa’s Population Dynamics for Sustainable Development 25years after Cairo and Beyond.”
Bahati said the theme is also relevant to Uganda which is one of the youngest nations in the world.
“It is important to note that Uganda’s population is predominantly young. That (young population) is a potential asset for national development through harnessing the Demographic dividend which is also important for achieving vision 2040,” Bahati said.
The 8th African Population Conference will take place at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda from November 18 to 22 November 2019. Latest United Nations estimates show that Africa’s population 1.3 billion, accounting for 16.7% of world population.
