The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The Council conducts research in
biomedicine,
social science
Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...
, and
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
and helps build research capacities in
developing countries
A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...
. One-third of its research relates to HIV and AIDS; while its other major program areas are still linked to its early foundation in
reproductive health
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, health care, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's Human reproductive system, reproductive system and sexual well-being during all stages of their life. Se ...
and its relation to poverty, youth, and gender.
For example, the Population Council strives to teach boys that they can be involved in contraceptive methods regardless of stereotypes that limit male responsibility in child bearing.
The organization held the license for
Norplant contraceptive implant, and now holds the license for Mirena
intrauterine system. The Population Council also publishes the journal ''
Population and Development Review'', which reports scientific research on the interrelationships between
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
and
socioeconomic development. It also provides a forum for discussion on related issues of public policy and ''
Studies in Family Planning'', which focuses on public health, social science, and biomedical research involving
sexual and reproductive health,
fertility
Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate ...
, and
family planning
Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marit ...
.
Organization
Established in 1952 by
John D. Rockefeller III, with important funding from the
Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. After many years of evolving, the 2006 council board includes leaders in many different fields. These include: biomedicine, business, economic development, government, health, international finance, media studies, philanthropy, and social science.
Headquartered in New York City, the Population Council has 18 offices in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and does work in more than 60 countries. With an annual budget of around $74 million, it employs nearly 400 people from 33 countries with expertise in a wide array of scientific disciplines. Roughly 55 percent are based outside the United States.
John D. Rockefeller III convened distinguished scientists in Williamsburg, Virginia, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, to begin the search for a better understanding of
demographic
Demography () is the statistics, statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration.
Demographic analy ...
trends. Shortly thereafter, in 1952, he established the Population Council as an independent, nonprofit organization. He served as the Council's first president. Rockefeller eventually became non-executive chairman of the board, serving until his death in an auto accident in 1978.
Population Council presidents following Rockefeller are:
Frederick Osborn (1957–1959),
Frank Notestein (1959–1968),
Bernard Berelson (1968–1974), George Zeidenstein (1977–1992),
Margaret Catley-Carlson (1993–1999), Linda Martin (2000–2004), Peter J. Donaldson (2005–2015),
Julia Bunting (2015–2023), interim co-Presidents Patricia C. Vaughan and James Sailer (2023-2024), and Rana Hajjeh (2024-2025). On May 15, 2025, Patricia C. Vaughan and James Sailer were appointed co-Presidents.
Contraception
The Population Council conducts biomedical research to develop
contraceptives and social science research to better understand the factors influencing access to and decision-making around contraceptives. Its research on reproductive and immunological processes serves, not only as the basis for the development of new contraceptive methods that reach out to both men and women, but also for new hormone therapies and AIDS-prevention products. The council is involved in a "collaboration with industry partner ProMed Pharma to develop innovative new vaginal rings that may make STI prevention more acceptable and effective for women."
In the 1960s, the Council played a key role in documenting the large numbers of people in poor countries who lacked access to contraceptives and in conducting research to design and evaluate public
family planning
Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marit ...
programs. This included bringing IUDs to India. At this time, the Council's biomedical researchers worked to develop contraceptive methods, such as the intrauterine device. The council has found that fertility is "most sensitive to changes in the proportions married and prevalence of contraception." A country's ideas around reproduction out of wedlock, its accessibility, and the public's opinion of birth control are instrumental in the region's fertility.
An array of contraceptives available around the world today were developed by the Population Council, including: the
Copper T Intrauterine device,
Norplant,
Jadelle (Norplant II),
Mirena, and, in 2018, a one year contraceptive vaginal system called Annovera was approved by the US FDA. More than 50 million Copper T IUDs have been distributed in over 70 countries. Norplant was replaced by Jadelle, a two rod implant that provides contraception for five years.
The British medical journal ''
Lancet'' said of the Population Council, "Most non-governmental organizations claim to promote change; the Population Council actually has hard evidence of having changed the lives and expectations of hundreds of millions of people."
HIV prevention
The Population Council provides programs all over the world that aim to address the prevention and treatment of HIV infection. These programs help to develop new technologies and distribute them to marginalized populations, as well as educate people about HIV through workshops and mentorship services. For example, Empowering Girls and Young Women at High Risk of HIV Infection: A Capacity Strengthening Project is a project with locations in 15 different African countries that reaches girls and young women who have the highest risk of HIV transmission and provides them with resources to prevent it.
The Council is constantly conducting research to find high-risk populations and the most cost-effective ways to get them the treatment they lack. The Council partners in a project called Link Up that is based in Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Uganda, which focuses on the population of young people ages 10 to 24 who represent a large proportion of HIV infections. The Council's research and involvement in this project helped to implement more effective strategies for improving the sexual and reproductive health of these populations.
Gender-based violence
The Council helps to alleviate the harmful effects of sexual and
gender-based violence by offering education to both men and women about domestic violence and provide programs to help victims. Programs like "Opening Opportunities" help to develop the social networks of girls who are most at risk of being involved in sexual or gender based violence, and also connects them with mentors to help them stay safe.
Public health data
The research that the Population Council conducts, and the publications it releases based on that research, contribute to the data that demographers and health officials require in order to promote public health. For instance, the Population Council was one of the first organizations to document statistics on HIV in Africa. The council also conducted the first study in India to assess the HIV risks that injecting drug users face.
Their persistent efforts help to provide information about and combat public health disparities.
See also
*
Birth control movement in the United States
*
Demography
Demography () is the statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration.
Demographic analysis examine ...
*
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
*
Rockefeller family
The Rockefeller family ( ) is an American Industrial sector, industrial, political, and List of banking families, banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the History of the petroleum industry in th ...
*
Mifepristone
Mifepristone, and also known by its developmental code name RU-486, is a drug typically used in combination with misoprostol to bring about a medical abortion during pregnancy. This combination is 97% effective during the first 63 days (9 wee ...
(RU-486)
*
Human overpopulation
Human overpopulation (or human population overshoot) is the idea that human populations may become too large to be sustainability, sustained by their environment or resources in the long term. The topic is usually discussed in the context of wor ...
References
Further reading
* ''Memoirs'',
David Rockefeller, New York: Random House, 2002.
External links
*
''Population and Development Review''
{{authority control
Institutions founded by the Rockefeller family
Public health organizations
Organizations based in New York City
International research institutes
Research institutes established in 1952
Human overpopulation think tanks
Population concern advocacy groups
Population research organizations
Medical and health organizations based in New York (state)
Birth control