PERSPECTIVES
is to raise enough funds for social protection, to reduce the
reliance on direct, private payments to finance services, and
to improve the efficiency and equity of public spending.
High death rates among children are accompanied by
high birth rates—a characteristic of countries in the earlier
stages of demographic and epidemiologic transition. The
typical woman in Africa still gives birth to 5 children, twice
the global average. Even with relatively high mortality rates,
the difference between births and deaths means that Africa’s
population continues to grow faster than any other region.
Consequently, Africa is likely to have more than 2 billion
inhabitants by 2050, more than double the number in 2010,
mostly living in densely crowded cities.
With health