Panel on the Demographic Impacts of Health Interventions

Health programmes aim to fight against disease and death, and their success leads to lower mortality and longer life. Beyond these stated objectives, they can have unforeseen demographic effects or effects that are different from those expected. They can influence fertility, family structure or migration, create inequalities in health and mortality, or, in contradiction with their ultimate objective, have an adverse effect on health.

The IUSSP Scientific Panel on the Demographic Impacts of Health Interventions will organize scientific seminars to examine the influence of a number of major health programmes in developing countries such as those aimed at improving the health of maternal and child health. It will seek to identify their demographic effects, including unsuspected or unexpected effects, and to explain their mechanisms.