Last week the world welcomed its 7 billionth inhabitant . But behind the headlines is a complicated demographic picture -- and one that masks huge disparities . The current rate of growth means that there are 78 million more people every year . Nearly all of that growth -- 97 out of every 100 people - is occurring in less developed countries . In developed nations , on the other hand , population growth rate has largely stagnated : in Japan and Europe for instance , bringing with it concerns about lower fertility and aging . Africa 's rapid population growth -- 2.3 per cent a year , double the rate of Asia 's -- puts pressure on its economies as governments struggle to provide education and health services . The issue of women and children 's health is one of the most pressing . Births that are too early , late or closely spaced reveal a whole host of critical issues affecting the health of Africans . I believe the population issue in sub-Saharan Africa is one of gender . Too many women lack the freedom to exercise choice when it comes to childbearing . Often this is a question of access . In remote locations women are forced to walk many kilometers to obtain contraceptives , and in some areas they are simply not available . Across the world more than two in five pregnancies are unplanned . Clearly 'unmet need ' for contraception is a wasted opportunity to boost development and stabilize population growth through something women want and need : the ability to decide when to become pregnant . Just how big is 7 billion . If all women had this ability , survey data shows , average global childbearing would immediately fall below the 'replacement fertility ' value of slightly more than two children per woman . Then there 's social pressure . Women are often required to have large families to improve their social standing and ensure their economic survival . In many countries girls marry at a very young age , become pregnant too early and cut short their education to take care of their young family . Poorly educated and unable to work , they are unable to contribute financially to the family coffers and so the cycle of poverty is perpetuated . In addition , young mothers face terrible threats to their health such as fistula -- a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged labor without prompt medical intervention . Fistula leaves women with chronic incontinence which renders them a social outcast . The link between family size and social standing is a subject close to my heart and goes back to my own childhood in Karakore , a small town in Ethiopia , where I grew up the eldest of seven children . My grandmother had one child , my mother , and I vividly recall the shame that she was made to feel because she had given birth to 'just one child ' -- and a daughter at that . I also remember that girls in my class at school would disappear suddenly and re-appear around a year later . As I grew older I realized that these young girls had become pregnant , and had been forced to move to other villages due to the shame they had been made to feel . My own mother lost a child , and I recall the deep emotional trauma that followed . So I encountered something of the suffering felt by far too many African women . That 's why I believe women must be empowered to be able to make their own decisions free from fear of coercion or pressure from partners , family , and society . Their sense of self-worth should not depend on the number of children they have . They must have easy access to a range of safe , effective , and affordable contraceptives and the information and counseling needed to use them . Six of world 's fastest-growing cities in China . But contraceptive access needs to be backed by better health infrastructure - we have abundant evidence that when parents are confident that their children will survive , they will have fewer and invest more in each of them . After years of neglect , there is a renewed interest in family planning as a driver for development . Experience has shown us that education for girls , legal reform and access to family planning have made a difference in many countries . While it 's true that economic and social development leads to women having smaller families , the converse is also true -- that the gains that contraception has made possible in women 's health make family planning one of the most successful international development stories . My mission as IPPF 's new Director-General is to build on those gains , to do our utmost to ensure that Africa 's women and girls have the services , supplies and information to exercise their reproductive rights and live their lives with dignity , respect and meaning .
The current growth rate means that there are 78 million more people every year . Asia 's population growth , of 2.3 % , is double that of Africa 's . Melesse believes sub- China population issue is because women lack freedom .