World Population Day 2012

When most people think of 7-Eleven they probably think first about slurpees or a big gulp. But the other thing that is 7/11 every year is World Population Day, as declared by the United Nations Population Fund. The theme for this year is "Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services":

Reproductive health is at the very heart of development and crucial to delivering the UNFPA vision — a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Universal access to reproductive health by 2015 is also one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals. But we have a long way to go.

Not coincidentally, today is also the London Summit on Family Planning, hosted by the UK Government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as I have mentioned before.


And, from a more personal perspective, today is also the second anniversary of this blog. Thanks to all of you who have sent me links to good ideas to talk about, have commented directly, or have just read and thought about the momentous and transformative issues wrought by population growth and change. The more we know, the better we can cope.