World Politics in a New Era

Human Issues

Population

• Population growth and decline– Growing at an alarming rate– Population increase is markedly higher in developing

countries – In developed countries, lower fertility rates result in an

aging population– In developing countries, high fertility rates have

continued in spite of reduced death rates – The “youth bulge” in many developing states

Population

• Urbanization and megacities–An increase in urbanization accompanies

globalization• Investment opportunities increase • But, urbanization is occurring in some of the poorest regions

–Megacities, such as Mexico City and Sao Paulo, face acute difficulties in providing basic services–Future urbanization in smaller cities and towns

Population

• International response– “Replacement-level-fertility” – The International Conference on Population and

Development (1994) – The needs of women

• Availability of contraception, education, and economic opportunities

• To reduce fertility rates

Population

• The abortion debate– An estimated 46 million abortions are performed

each year – Approximately 68,000 deaths due to unsafe

conditions– Family planning is viewed as vital to women’s

health– The most controversial element of family planning

is abortion• U.S. withholding funds from UNFPA

Migration

• Economic migrants– Imbalance between population and economic

resources– Searching for a higher standard of living– Developed states need migrants to do many low paying

jobs– Skilled labor (engineers, scientists) also migrate to

developed countries – “Brain drain”

Migration

• Refugees– Fleeing because of war or repression – Can be internally displaced or flee to another state– By the end of 2006, there were more than 9.9

million refugees • Nearly 90% living in developing states• Usually a neighboring state

– Hundreds of thousands of people also become economic refugees

Migration

• Consequences of migration–Negative reactions from host countries

• Nativism - discrimination against immigrants• economic recession and high unemployment in host country

–Tightened immigration controls• In the United States, political pressure to restrict immigration

is cyclical• Example: tightened rules in the wake of September 11

Migration

• International solutions– The UN and other international organizations• An international convention aimed at protecting the

human rights of migrant workers

– The UNHCR administrates a number of programs to protect, resettle, or repatriate political refugees

– Long-term migrants continue to pose major problems for host countries and the international community

Health and Disease

• The global health picture–Poverty, malnutrition, and poor sanitation –Developing countries bear the greatest brunt –AIDS is one of the most serious global health issues

• Africa has been hit hardest by the disease• The fastest growth of the epidemic is occurring in Eastern

Europe

Health and Disease

• Responses to Global Health Problems– Immunization and programs aimed at eradication–Securing international cooperation is difficult at

best–The World Health Organization (WHO)–The WHO’s Expanded Program on Immunization

(EPI) has achieved great success in broadening its immunization coverage

Health and Disease• Responses to Global Health Problems

–Some diseases have been more resistant to eradication efforts• Malaria• AIDS

–The WHO attempts to deal with the challenge of health related outbreaks • WHO Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and

Response• Domestic health issues quickly become international concerns • Example: the 2002-2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory

syndrome (SARS)