In sub-Saharan Africa, older people make up a relatively small fraction of the total population and are supported primarily by family and other kinship networks. They have traditionally been viewed as repositories of information and wisdom, and are critical pillars of the community but as the HIV/AIDS pandemic destroys family systems, the elderly increasingly have to deal with the loss of their own support while absorbing the additional responsibilities of caring for their orphaned grandchildren. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa explores ways to promote U.S. research interests and to augment the sub-Saharan governments' capacity to address the many challenges posed by population aging. Five major themes are explored in the book such as the need for a basic definition of "older person," the need for national governments to invest more in basic research and the coordination of data collection across countries, and the need for improved dialogue between local researchers and policy makers. This book makes three major recommendations: 1) the development of a research agenda 2) enhancing research opportunity and implementation and 3) the translation of research findings.

Africa is the worlds poorest continent, and it also has the worlds fastest-growing population. Many observers have concluded that overpopulation is a root cause of Africas poverty, and that if the continent is ever to emerge from underdevelopment its rapid population growth will have to be slowed. This book examines those assertions, offering a wealth of statistical and other evidence to suggest that the link between African poverty and the size of Africas population is by no means definitive. The book also examines the important demographic trendssuch as rapid urbanization, elevated mortality rates from the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and continued high fertilitythat will help shape African societies in the decades to come.

This overview includes chapters on child mortality, adult mortality, fertility, proximate determinants, marriage, internal migration, international migration, and the demographic impact of AIDS.