Case study The Gambia a youthful population

The Gambia is the smallest African country and 95% of Gambias population
are Muslim. There has been a taboo on contraceptives and the birth rate is
high, on average each oman in her life time ill have ! children. The birth
rate is "# per $### population and for every $### children born $$ mothers
ill die in child birth. %eople do not live much be "# & 5#, the life
e'pectancy for omen is 5! and for men 5(. )t is thought that the
population ill double every *+ years.
The Gambia is a very poor country, there is not enough money to build
infrastructure and develop tons. ,ealthcare is very limited and the infant
mortality rate is !( per $###.
Problems having a young population

,igh dependency ratio.
-inancial problems & not having enough money to feed and support the
groing family. Malnutrition is common.
,omes often dont have electricity and are overcroded.
.anitation is very poor.
/esertification of the forests, people use the ood for fires housing and
selling. The land left ends up as desert therefore ma0ing the temperature
rise.
1ot enough education, there is a shortage of toilet facilities and educational
material, often schools adopted a * shift system some children educated in
the morning and some later in the day. Teachers are poorly paid and can
or0 up to $* hours a day.
$ in ( $" year olds have to or0 to help support the family.
Responses to the problems
Contraception
There are no aareness campaigns and radio adverts e'plaining about
contraceptives. An 1G2 called -utures is helping to address the problem by
delivering very cheap contraception hich is subsidised by the 3orld ,ealth
2rganisation. /ue to this programme the population groth rate has
dropped from ".*% to (%.
Health
To reduce the infant mortality rate funding from 4anada is used to provide
free vaccination for children. )mproved maternity care helps the mothers to
survive. %arents are encouraged to space out the births so that mother has
enough time to recover.
Managing Resources
The German government are funding a forest management scheme. The
plan is to plant ne forests and educate the population on ho to loo0 after
and use the forests.
Education
More and more children are attending school.
The role of NGO!
Concern "niversal
/evelopment in isolated communities to help them have a sustainable
livelihood
/eveloping the social and material capacity to avoid and respond disasters
5educe the spread of ,)67A)/.
%eace building and cross border e'changes sharing e'periences and ideas.
This give the Gambians a ne understanding, they no see themselves as
peace actors rather than passive victims of conflict
"nited Nations Population fund
To improve reproductive health
%romote gender e8uality
.upporting teenagers
Ma0ing motherhood safer
%reventing the spread of ,)6
All omen to have access to contraception
.0illed care hen pregnant, all pregnancy complications to receive 8uality
emergency obstetric care to reduce mortality
.upport safe motherhood initiatives by training midives
GambiaHE#P
3or0 ith communities to identify and solve health problems
)mprove primary education
9mpoering rural communities
.upport initiatives such as health, environment protection and sanitation
4onstruct ells hich include a hand pump and an animal trough, provide
funds for repairs. .eparate ater ells constructed for ashing and coo0ing
facilities