The Population Fellows Programs offer these internships to introduce MSI students to a field that is deeply rewarding, while at the same time creating a U.S. foreign assistance effort that is more representative of the U.S. as a whole.

Why "Population?"

An empowering, life-saving field

The field of international population is, at its core, about health and empowerment. With the help of effective family planning methods, families can time their children to optimize the health of both mothers and babies (research shows that spacing births at least two years apart dramatically increases a child’s chance for survival). And by reducing unplanned pregnancies, family planning can help prevent women from turning to often-unsafe abortions. In addition, barrier methods like condoms can help prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Of course, there is also great empowerment in making one’s own decisions in this very personal arena of life. Family planning information and services can help couples have the number of children they want when they want them.

Finally, the related field of population-environment helps communities improve not only their own health but also the health of the ecosystems on which they depend.

Why the Developing World?

Attention where the need is greatest

The internship’s focus on the developing world allows interns to apply their energy and skills where the need for these services is greatest. Every day, more than 1,600 women and 31,000 children under age five die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Of these deaths, 99% are in developing countries, and it is estimated that at least a quarter of them could be prevented by family planning.¹

Through great strides have been made in making family planning services more accessible to citizens of the developing world, there is still a great deal of work to be done. There are currently an estimated 100 million couples in the developing world who want but don’t have access to quality contraception.² The Population Fellows Programs believe that information and services that allow individuals to manage their reproductive health and plan their families should be a right available to everyone -- not just to those of us in the developed world.

Why Minority-Serving Institutions?

A more representative U.S. assistance effort

Minorities have traditionally been underrepresented in the fields of international family planning/reproductive health and population-environment. One reason is that the specialized coursework required to prepare for this field is not available at most Minority-Serving Institutions. As a result, this field is simply not on the “career map” for many minority students. The Population Fellows Programs MSI internships exist to overcome this barrier.

We believe strongly that diverse voices need to be heard as population- and health-related programs are developed and policies are set in the international arena. The MSI internship is a critical avenue to this important goal.

 

¹ From Commitment to Action: Meeting the Challenge of ICPD. (1999). Washington: United States Agency for International Development, V.

² Population Reports: Why Family Planning Matters. (1999). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Population Information Program, Series J (49), 6, 10, 14, 22. Note: Updated statistics provided 11/01.

 

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