Global PHDC

Global Congress on Population, Health and Development

While population growth can bring economic benefits, it can also put a strain on resources and infrastructure, leading to health and social challenges. This rapid growth compromises the availability and quality of basic services including, health, education, and social security, and contributes to the rapid depletion of natural resources. This is in addition to the globally looming threats of water scarcity, food crisis, and climate change, which all jeopardize the sustainability and economic development of countries around the world. Additionally, the world is facing an aging demographic. The global population aged 60 years and above is expected to reach two billion by 2050, increasing the need for specialized services including healthcare, social protection, and rehabilitation. Since population dynamics contribute to the complexity of bringing health to all, health systems must respond actively to changes taking place in the growth, structure, and distribution of the world's population. This requires leveraging the role of primary healthcare as well as adopting innovative measures to face this challenge. The global burden of disease is also shifting, with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, as well as mental health disorders, which are becoming a major global health issue, with depression and anxiety affecting millions of people worldwide. There is also a need to improve sexual and reproductive health, with many countries still struggling to provide adequate access to contraception and maternal healthcare.