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MEDIA CENTER Population Council Researcher Seeks to Enhance Public Interest in Population Issues with New Book
NEW YORK (29 April 2003) — The learning curve of biomedical scientist Sheldon J. Segal is closely aligned with the radical changes that have occurred in family planning practices and population policy over the past half-century. In his recently-released Under the Banyan Tree: A Population Scientist's Odyssey, Segal not only talks about historical trends, but more importantly, he discusses what needs to happen now to mitigate the consequences of overpopulation in the future. Segal recognized the serious consequences of rapid population growth in developing countries early in his career. Now—50 years later—few individuals have contributed more to the understanding of human population and family planning than Segal. He directed the research that led to the development of copper-bearing IUDs and implant contraceptives (Jadelle® and Norplant®), as well as initial studies on contraceptive vaginal rings, the intrauterine system Mirena®, contraceptive vaccines, and male contraceptives. Segal also directed a team of medical scientists who conducted preliminary research on microbicides, a product that could limit the spread of HIV/AIDS, if proven effective. Beyond his tremendous efforts in the biomedical arena, Segal may have had an even greater impact outside of the laboratory. He engaged the leaders of grassroots groups and the heads of state, ministers of health and community health workers in impassioned attempts to improve the reproductive health of the world's citizens. Segal also fought to overcome the complacency surrounding overpopulation's effect on current and future generations and to promote humanitarian and scientific concerns rather than political agendas. In Under the Banyan Tree Segal adopts a citizen-to-citizen writing style. The book is not in the manner of his 300 academic publications, but is instead written from the vantage point of a curious observer and a humanitarian—but most of all as a man with a mission. "Good science is sometimes displaced by political expediency in guiding public policy," says Segal. "I have written this book with the hope that it will enhance public interest and enlighten population dialogue." Segal notes that family planning policy in developing countries began by focusing on the supply side. The emphasis on pushing out contraceptives was often accompanied by a disregard for the complexities of human nature. Contemporary programs, on the other hand, are likely to adopt a client-centered, reproductive health approach. Segal is concerned that these later efforts may be ignoring the concept—and consequences—of overpopulation. "Don't let anyone tell you the increase in world population is over," says Segal. "It took all of human history to the mid-nineteenth century to reach the first billion. We are now adding one billion every ten years. Although it is true that fertility rates have been declining throughout much of the world, population expansion will continue well into this century. This is because growth is now due mainly to the momentum created by high birth rates of the recent past, which have resulted in record numbers of young people entering their reproductive years. Their sheer number will make up for the expected decline in fertility compared to their parents and grandparents." Yet Segal is not a doomsayer. In addition to describing the profound shift in international public policy, Under The Banyan Tree also reveals Segal's own evolution. He documents how his move from the tidy world of American academia to the stark poverty of India in the early 1960s served as a personal catalyst. Living in this environment sparked his decision to refocus his career on improving women's health. Sheldon J. Segal, a man who has witnessed as well as experienced a great transformation, says that the world's health policies can—and must—change again. He expresses optimism that policymakers and practitioners will ultimately embrace a paradigm that balances concerns for global overpopulation with a commitment to high-quality, client-oriented care.
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