Global reach, global impact
The Population Council has been instrumental in improving people's lives. Our work includes research on education and livelihood opportunities for young girls and women.
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.
Voices of change
Photo of Ben Bellows: © Richard Lord
What's New
Breakthrough in microbicide research: A gel tested by CAPRISA in South Africa indicates that it is safe and effective in reducing the risk of HIV and herpes infections among women participants; confirmatory research is needed. (more) Naomi Rutenberg, Population Council vice president and director of the HIV and AIDS program, discussed the results of the CAPRISA study on PRI's "The Takeaway." (offsite link)
Mahidol University has awarded Council president Peter J. Donaldson an honorary doctorate in demography in recognition of the significant role he has played in the development of population and social science research in Thailand. (more)
A Closer Look: Stories of Impact, the Population Council’s 2009 annual report, is now available. Read first-person accounts and view striking photographs of our lifesaving work around the world. This year we are also featuring a short documentary, slideshows, and podcasts about our projects. (more)
The Population Council celebrates five decades of American women’s access to the birth control pill. The Council continues to work toward improving reproductive health for all through research and testing of an array of reversible contraceptive methods for both men and women. (more)
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