Population Council Research that makes a difference

Global reach, global impact

The Population Council was founded in 1952 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd on the premise that "There is only one reason for concerning ourselves about population—to improve the quality of people's lives, to help make it possible for individuals everywhere to develop their full potential." Our commitment to this mission has never wavered.

We work to improve the health and well-being of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, identifying challenges that have been previously been neglected. For more than 50 years, we have changed the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

• Our research on HIV and AIDS, poverty, gender, and youth, and reproductive health, and our inter-disciplinary approach enable the Council to tackle problems from a range of perspectives.

• With offices in 17 developing countries and projects in more than 50 countries, the Council tailors responses to local situations. We work with local partners to translate results into practice and scale up promising models for change.

• The Council collaborates with governments to shape policies and increase coverage and enhance the quality of population and health programs. We are also increasing the capacity of developing-country research and service organizations.

• Our biomedical laboratories have developed long-term, reversible contraceptives that have been used by more than 100 million women. The Council leads the field in research on new contraceptives.

Throughout our Web site, on topic, country, and project pages, we outline the impact of Council work. We invite you to read more about how our research is making a difference.