CNN: The world’s population is nearing 8 billion. That’s not great news
“It took thousands of years for the global population to hit 5 billion, which happened in 1987. Some 32 years later, we’re closing in on 8 billion. This explosive growth concerns leaders at the United Nations, who created World Population Day in 1989 to raise awareness about the problems caused by overpopulation. The holiday is observed annually on July 11…” (Davis/Griggs, 7/11).

Devex: Time to work together, say family planning and conservation groups
“A new campaign championing the benefits of combining family planning and conservation action — two sectors that have not seen eye to eye in the past — has been endorsed by more than 150 groups from both sides. The Thriving Together campaign, officially launched Thursday to mark World Population Day, aims to drive support for the idea that improving access to family planning is not only good for women and girls — enabling them to space their children and prevent unwanted pregnancies — but can also be critical to biodiversity conservation efforts by taking pressure off local environments…” (Edwards, 7/11).

U.S. News & World Report: Africa to Lead World in Population Growth
“Africa is expected to lead the world in population growth by the end of the century, according to an analysis published on Wednesday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. The analysis comes ahead of World Population Day, the annual July 11 United Nations event that seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. Pew’s analysis is based on the World Populations Prospects Report published last month by the U.N…” (Chapman, 7/10).

Xinhua News: Pregnancy-related issues still leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19: U.N. chief
“… ‘Around the world, we are seeing pushback on women’s rights, including on essential health services. Issues related to pregnancy are still the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19. Gender-based violence, which is rooted in inequality, continues to take a horrific toll,’ [United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres] said in his message on World Population Day to be observed on July 11. Speaking of the overall situation, the secretary general said that while the world’s population overall continues to increase, this growth is ‘uneven’…” (7/11).