Perspectives on continuous fertility decline in sub-Saharan Africa: Changing policy agenda and impacts on fertility

In sub-Saharan Africa, its fertility transition has been estimated to have started in many countries in the 1990s, even though there are still some countries that are not considered to have started their fertility declines. After the onset of fertility transitions in many countries, Bongaarts (2006, 2008) pointed out possible stalls in fertility declines in many transition countries in late 1990s and early 2000s. As more recent data have become available especially those after 2005 to 2010/11, it is time to reevaluate the trend in fertility declines in sub-Saharan Africa in general and those countries considered to have had stalls in fertility declines in early 2000s. In this regard, DHS data of 41 sub-Saharan African countries since the 1980s will be used. The study will analyze changing policy agenda and macroeconomic situations in the context of sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, such as the repositioning of family planning programmes, an increasing emphasis on the achievements of MDGs especially the reduction of maternal mortality, and the recent declining trend in HIV prevalence. In sum, this study will look into policy influences on ongoing fertility transition in sub-Saharan Africa and provide their future perspectives on the continuous fertility decline.