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Background and Aims: Stillbirth is a public health as well as a development problem in low and middle‐income countries. The studies that found out maternal age as a factor for the risk of stillbirth reported different findings. This systematic review and meta‐analysis is believed to fill the inconclusiveness of these findings. Hence, the aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis is to estimate the pooled effect of advanced maternal age on stillbirth in Africa. Methods: PubMed & HINARY databases and Google Scholar search engine were searched to access the primary studies. The extracted data using Microsoft excel was exported to Stata 15 software for analysis. The presence of heterogeneity was checked using Cochran's Q statistic and the I2 test. Publication bias was examined by using funnel plot and Egger's test. The pooled effect measure with DerSimonian and Laird method of random‐effect model was reported using odds ratio (OR) with respective 95% confidence interval. Results: Totally, 14 articles are included for the systematic review and meta‐analysis. The stillbirth reported by the studies ranges from 15 to 146.7 per 1000 births. The overall OR of advanced maternal age (≥35 years) on stillbirth is 1.42 (1.18, 1.71) when compared with the age group of 20–35 years. The cumulative effect of getting pregnant at advanced age on stillbirth was slightly increasing from year to year. Conclusion: Advanced maternal age is a risk factor for stillbirth. Health Information Communication on the risk of getting pregnant at the advanced ages on stillbirth should be well addressed to all women of reproductive age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations' 2022 World Population Prospects suggests the global population will reach 10 billion people in 2058 and will peak in 2086. Aggregated data do not account for regional and age-group realities, which draw a more pressing picture. We analyze the World Population Prospects 2022 data according to age groups and regions and show that population peaks are going to occur sooner in some regions of the world than others, and the working-age population will peak on average 10 to 20 years before the overall population peaks. Africa is the only world region expected to continue to experience significant population growth. The population will be increasingly made up of larger proportions of older ages than younger, thereby shifting the dependency ratio. Reflections on the implications of an aging and shrinking population on policy regarding fertility, aging, migration, urban planning and economic development are needed. The challenge is not to be left for future generations to face; it is happening tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]