Population issues and the PRSP process in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia

Helen Ware, University of New England, Australia
Carlos Arnaldo, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
David Lucas, Australian National University

Like them or loath them, the World Bank’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and the policies they advocate will have a significant impact on Africa over the next two decades. This paper presents case studies of three neighbouring countries in Southern Africa: Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia to examine how far and how realistically population factors have been taken into account in the development and design of the PRSPs. This examination assesses the available demographic and poverty data for the three countries, and how far the strategies proposed represent a response to regional realities and how far they simply reflect a one-design-fits-all approach. Given the tragic context of the impact of HIV/AIDS there will be a special focus on studying just how far the poverty reduction strategies proposed within the PRSPs can be considered to be realistic in light of actual and projected levels of mortality and morbidity.