Honourable Jenista Mhagama,
I was listening to your submission in today's [Monday, July 11, 2011] evening’s parliamentary session when you were discussing the Ministry of Health's budget. First, I would like to thank and congratulate you for your insight and helpful contributions. However, when listening, it appeared to me that you were lamenting and in fact cursing population growth which to you seem to imply is a hindrance to economic development. You said Tanzania’s population growth of 2.9% per year is too high, and that 50% of the total population, which now stands at 43 million is composed of young people below 15 years. You told parliamentarians listening to your contributions that this is a non-productive group and in fact dependent people. You said that according to projections, our population will be 63 million by 2025 a figure you lamentably said will be too difficult for the government to handle. You then proposed for a strong campaign on contraceptive family planning. I have my ideas to suggest to you when you discuss this topic in future:

1. A population growth rate of 2.9 per annum is still small for a backward economy like ours. The internationally recognized fertility rate for populations to stabilize is 2.1. We are just 0.8 off the mark. That means we are already heading towards doom. In Tanzania we need to have a birth rate of 3.5 and above. The reasons are very clear. First it is for replacement purposes. Many children die before the age of five due to various diseases which our government has not been able to handle in the 50 years of independence. Secondly, there are many people who fall victim to HIV/AIDS pandemic thus making our country vulnerable to population implosion. Third, there are many people who die from old age, accidents and beliefs in witchcraft.
2. Population growth, rather then being viewed as a curse is in fact a blessing to any country. Strong economies of the West were achieved at a time when their populations were big. Even today, countries like Great Britain or Germany; despite their area being three times smaller than ours still numerically have higher populations than ours. Yet, these countries are complaining of “demographic winter” to the extent they put in place immigration policies to boost their populations. A strong population in a country means more economic development because it is able to stimulate industrial development [human capital] as well as to provide internal market needed to consume the industrial products. Politically a large population provides security insurance. What keeps Africa economically and socially backward is not too many people, rather too few people. Population is power. We should not fall pray to the tricks proposed to us by western people that if we want to develop we must reduce our fertility. Those westerners know too well that the fewer we become; the easier it is for them to rule us and to plunder away our national resources. They want us to perpetually weak and remain poor. That is what NSSM 200 all about.

3. Contraceptive family planning has never, is never and will never be an answer to our economic and social development. Where a country has embarked upon a strong campaign on contraceptive use serious effects arise to the users – those serious complications include:
a) Physical effects: women suffer from minor to serious and more complicated health problems, like loss of vision, obesity, heart attacks, breast and cervical cancers,migrane headaches, venous thromboembolism due to hematologic changes, thrombophilia, immobility, transfusion at delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia,infertility and/or temporary or permanent disabilities
b) Social effects: families fall apart due to high rate of immorality and infidelity among married couples; net population decline due to deliberate fertility prevention; increased abortions due to failure rate of contraceptives as well as anti-life mentality that is born with contraceptive use
c) Psychological impact of contraceptive use: depression, loss of sexual drive, feelings of being used and exploited, perpetual fear of husband – no loving sexual relationship and guilt in case of infertility.
d) Moral decadence, e.g. sexual permissiveness, infidelity in life
e) Spiritual: denial of God and His place in our lives, hence the resurgence of cults and ungodly practices
Honourable Jenista, I know you are very busy that is why I have given you a very brief presentation of my convictions. I am ready to give you the whole truth about it should you need it. I clap my hands for your wonderful contributions that help to build this country. Kindly take my message and use it in the way it will help our country to prosper. The future of this nation is in your hands.

Yours truly,
Emil Hagamu
Pro-Life Tanzania, Executive Director
HLI Regional Coordinator