GLOBAL: COVERAGE ON WORLD POPULATION DAY AND YEAR OF SEVEN BILLION

Multiple media outlets published a blog post on 6 and 10 July by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin on the launch of the Seven Billion Actions Campaign on 11 July. He wrote, “UNFPA is launching a global campaign called Seven Billion Actions to create a more just and sustainable world. Currently about 78 million people are added to global population each year, increasing demand for natural resources and putting increased pressure on our planet. While poverty, inequality and increased stress on resources represent major challenges, the world is more interconnected than ever before, creating enormous possibilities. We now have new and unprecedented capacity to share information and ideas, and engage communities across the globe to solve problems that affect us.” Read: The Independent (UK) and The Observer (Uganda)

IPS reported on 7 July that the United Nations commemorates World Population Day next week against the backdrop of an upcoming landmark event: global population hitting the seven billion mark by late October this year. According to current projections, and with some of the world's poorest nations doubling their populations in the next decade, the second milestone will be in 2025: an eight billion population over the next 14 years. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of UNFPA, said that seven billion represents a challenge, an opportunity and a call to action. On World Population Day, he will be launching a campaign called “Seven Billion Actions.” "It will engage people on what it means to live in a world with seven billion people and encourage action on issues that affect all of us," he added. Read: IPS and in Spanish: IPS

BRAZIL: Multiple media outlets reported on 9 and 10 July on UNFPA’s Seven Billion Actions campaign and World Population Day. The initiative aims to highlight the role of each person and institution in building a better world, sharing stories and individual or collective actions to respond to current challenges such as overcoming poverty and to discuss the role of youth in building the future, among other goals. The campaign refers to the world population of seven billion people to be reached in October. UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin, is quoted saying that in order to reduce inequalities and improve the quality of life a new, unprecedented global cooperation must be established. "The time to act is now. The individual actions, multiplied many times, can make a world of difference. Together we are seven billion people counting on each other." Read in Portuguese: Agencia Brasil and Jornal a Cidade

CANADA: CBC reported on 10 July that "Whether we can live together on a healthy planet will depend on the decisions we make now," Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of UNFPA, said in a news release. Dr. Osotimehin adds that 215 million women in developing countries don't have access to effective family planning. That's part of the message for World Population Day. UNFPA and its partners are kicking off a campaign to raise awareness of the seven key issues they've identified as the most important as the world's population hits seven billion. Read: CBC

COLOMBIA: Colprensa reported on 9 July on preparations for World Population Day, including an interview with Paulo Javier Lara, UNFPA Population and Development Advisor, who discussed steps to take advantage of the global demographic situation. Read in Spanish: Colprensa

CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Les Depeches de Brazzaville reported on 9 July on a call by UNFPA to national leaders to reflect on the theme of World Population Day 2011, “A World at 7 Billion inhabitants.” UNFPA announced a series of activities from 11-14 July in four provincial capitals of the country: Brazzaville, Ewo, Loango and Pointe-Noire. Activities were to include high-level debates, television and media sensitization programmes; and health and vulnerable populations-focused activities. UNFPA also pointed out that that youth was the largest segment of the world population and its future. Read in French: Les Depeches de Brazzaville

CUBA: Multiple media outlets reported on 6-10 July on preparations for World Population Day and statements by UNFPA officials in Cuba. The international coordinator of UNFPA in Cuba, Jesus Robles, extolled Cuba’s social policy in terms of the well-being of the population and their rights, and coverage also noted the youth focus of this year’s World Population Day. Read: Radio Cadena Agramonte, Cuba News, Juventud Rebelde, AIN, Prensa Latina, Trabajadores, Xinhua, Tiempo 21, Prensa Latina, Juventud Rebelde (a), Juventud Rebelde (b), Radio Rebelde and Radio Reloj

Multiple media reported between 3-10 July that Cuban singer David Torrens was to hold a concert on 10 July to mark the World Population Day in a downtown facility. The “troubadour” gave his image and music "to help UNFPA in whatever it needed" and transmit the messages "about family planning, women's equality, the promotion of humanistic values ​​in young people and care for the environment." Read in Spanish: Tribuna de la Habana

GEORGIA: Interpress news, and Georgia Today reported on 7 and 8 July on World Population Day and published statements by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin. Read: Georgia Today and Interpressnews

GUYANA: Guyana Chronicle reported on 10 July that the world´s population is projected to reach seven billion on 31 October this year. To raise awareness and engage the public, UNFPA launched “7 Billion Actions,” a global movement geared to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by a world of seven billion people, and mobilize individuals to take action in their community. Read: Guyana Chronicle

HONDURAS: La Prensa, La Tribuna reported on 8 July on UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin’s statement marking World Population Day and other UNFPA activities marking the year of seven billion. Read in Spanish: La Prensa and  La Tribuna

INDONESIA: The Jakarta Globe reported on 7 July that with the United Nations warning of rapid world population growth, experts are calling on the government to increase people’s awareness of and access to family planning services. “The government should be able to guarantee that every family has access to birth control and that people from every region get the same service at facilities,” said Sonny Harmadi, director of the University of Indonesia’s Demographic Institute. UNFPA said that the world’s population would reach seven billion by the end of October. Indonesia ranked fifth in population growth rate after India, China, Nigeria and Pakistan, with four million babies born every year and approximately 700,000 deaths a year. Read: The Jakarta Globe

JORDAN: Al Ghad reported on 7 July on preparations for World Population Day. Read in Arabic: Al Ghad

LEBANON: Multiple media outlets reported on 7-10 July on World Population Day. Articles highlighted the importance of this year’s milestone and announced the launch of the Seven Billion Actions Campaign by UNFPA, as well as messages and statements by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin. Coverage also included an interview with UNFPA Assistant Representative Asma Kurdahi, who discussed population and development issues in Lebanon. Read in Arabic: Al Mustaqbal, Houna Loubnan, 3poli, Al Mustaqbal, Al Balad (page 11), National News Agency, Lebanon Chat, El Nashra, UPI, Dar Al Hayat, Reuters and Al Balad

MOZAMBIQUE: TVM (Cabo Delgado) and Notícias reported on 8 July that World Population Day in Mozambique will be celebrated in the district of Montepuez, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Both reports noted that the World Population Day celebration is jointly organized by the Ministry of Planning and Development and UNFPA. TVM mentioned that Eliseu Machava, the provincial governor, will be joined in the event by the deputy minister of planning and development, Amélia Nakhare, and UNFPA Representative Patricia Guzman.

PAKISTAN: The News International reported on 8 July on the upcoming celebration of World Population Day, noting that in 1968 world leaders proclaimed that individuals had a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and timing of their children. About 40 years later modern contraception remains out of reach for millions of women, men and young people. The UN authorized the event as a vehicle to build an awareness of population issues and the impact they have on development and the environment. Since then, with UNFPA’s encouragement, governments, non-governmental organizations, institutions and individuals organize various educational activities to celebrate the annual event. Read: The News International

PARAGUAY: Radio Nanduti featured an interview on 10 July with UNFPA Population and Development Officer, Aldo Natalizia on World Population Day. Among the issues discussed were poverty, water and food shortages, urban planning, as well as the high rate of maternal mortality and teenage pregnancy. Watch in Spanish: Radio Nanduti (Part 1) and Radio Nanduti (Part 2)

Multiple media outlets reported on 9 of July that this year the number of people in the world will reach 7 billion and this will present new challenges for sustainable development. In commemoration of World Population Day, on Monday, 11 July, Aldo Natalizia Officer of Population and Development, UNFPA Paraguay reflected on how this process affects the world population and in particular the country, “where 1 in 3 people are poor”.  Read in Spanish: IP Paraguay

QATAR: QNA reported on 10 July that UNFPA is preparing for the launch of a global campaign called Seven Billion Actions to create a more just and sustainable world. World population is estimated to hit seven billion by late October this year, says a UN report. The report suggests a fertility and population growth rate decline in most countries in contrast to least developed countries where the trend is opposite.

SRI LANKA: The Sunday Observer reported on 10 July that if you ask the question 'How many people inhabit Planet Earth?' the standard answer is 'six billion people'. But from 31 October, the answer would be seven billion. Yes, the world will be having one billion extra mouths to feed after October. (Around 80 million are added to the world population every year). This is especially interesting to us here in Sri Lanka, which will be conducting a census this year. This year's World Population Day, which falls on 11 July is even more significant in the light of this global milestone. UNFPA, the lead agency of the UN for World Population Day calls it a challenge as well as an opportunity. The UNFPA is launching a global campaign called Seven Billion Actions to create a more sustainable world with the tagline "We are seven billion people counting on each other." Incidentally, 1.8 billion of them are aged 10-24. Just 25 years ago, the world population was five billion. In fact, World Population Day is an outgrowth of the Day of Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July, 1987. The Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme later recommended that 11 July, be observed as World Population Day.

TAJIKISTAN: Asia-Plus reported on 9 July that on the occasion of World Population Day, the UNFPA country office in Tajikistan was to hold a news conference in cooperation with the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan. Read: Asia-Plus

TANZANIA: The Guardian and The Sunday News reported on 9 and 10 July on the projected timeline for the global population to reach seven billion as well as events n World Population Day. Events to be held in Tanzania included a youth forum, and articles also reported on remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin’s statement marking World Population Day and recent remarks calling for more engagement of men in family planning and reproductive health issues.

UGANDA: The Observer and the New Vision published on 10 July UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin's statement on World Population Day. He wrote, “This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the earth’s seven billionth inhabitant. This is an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity and our diversity. It is also a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for each other and our planet. Reaching a global population of seven billion is a numerical landmark, but our focus should always be on people. That is why I am pleased that the United Nations Population Fund is giving meaning to the number by launching its campaign for “Seven Billion Actions” to contribute to a better world. More than ever, individuals can make a difference by uniting together through social networks and working for change. We have seen many examples this year of the immense power of people to embrace hope over despair, to seek fair treatment where they are suffering discrimination, and to demand justice over tyranny.” Read: New Vision

The Observer reported on 10 July that to mark this year’s World Population Day, UNFPA and the Population Secretariat in Kampala have highlighted seven key population issues they say countries with high population growth rates such as Uganda must give serious consideration. These  include  involving youth in planning and decision-making; keeping girls in schools; involving males in family planning; and ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted and safe. Others are focusing on youth skills and development; ensuring a healthy environment for the people and their environment; and planning for urbanization. Read: The Observer

The New Vision reported on 7 July that Kayunga district will host this year's national celebrations to mark World Population Day on 11 July. Uganda will commemorate the day under the theme "Uganda at 33 million: Time to act." The event, organised by the Population Secretariat and UNFPA, will take place at Ndeeba Church of Uganda Primary School. Uganda's population currently stands at 33 million.

UNITED STATES: The Huffington Post published a blog by UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Ostomehin on 7 July arguing for greater investment in adolescents and young people as the world population reaches seven billion. He wrote, “In a few days' time, world leaders and policy makers will convene at the United Nations for a special summit on young people. Given recent developments in many parts of the world, such a meeting is timely. . . Overall, people are living longer, healthier lives, and many couples are choosing to have fewer children. But we are faced with the largest ever group of potential parents. And great disparities exist between countries. While many wealthy and middle-income nations are concerned with low fertility rates and ageing citizens, the world's poorest nations struggle to meet the needs of young and rapidly growing populations. I am particularly concerned about the future of adolescents and youth: how can we ensure that younger generations inherit a world worth living in? The world's 1.8 billion young people aged 10 to 24 constitute more than a quarter of the world's population. Just below 90 percent live in developing countries. As parents of the next generation, their choices will help determine future population trends.” Read: The Huffington Post

URUGUAY: El País, La República, La Republiva and Causa Abierta reported on 8-10 July that on the upcoming World Population Day and launch of the Seven Billion Actions campaign, as well as issues related to census and other population statistics in Uruguay.  Read in Spanish: El Pais (a), El Pais (b), La Republica and Causa Abierta

VENEZUELA: VTV reported on 8 July on UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin’s statement marking World Population Day on 11 July. Dr. Osotimehin said that to reduce inequities and improve the living standards of people living today and for generations to come, it will be necessary to adopt new ways of thinking and establish an unprecedented global partnership. Read in Spanish: VTV

YEMEN: Al-Thawra reported on 7 and 10 July on World Population Day, focusing on the preparation of Yemen, represented in the National Population Council, to mark World Population Day and the UNFPA campaign “Seven Billion Actions” and what it means to live in a world of seven billion. Read in Arabic: Al Thawra (10 July) and Al Thawra (7 July)