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The arrival into the world of Damian, born at the Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia maternity hospital in Santo Domingo, has generated great expectation for being the first baby to be born symbolically in the Dominican Republic as a contribution to the world count of 8 billion people.
With his 2.77 kgs and 52 centimeters, he was the undisputed protagonist of the night of Tuesday, November 15, 2022, a date that marks a milestone in terms of population growth, bringing the world population to this figure that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) makes visible under the slogan 8 Billion Stronger.
Dr. Michael Trinidad, manager of the hospital’s obstetrics department, and his team assisted the 35-year-old mother in the birth, which took place “without any complications,” the obstetrician explained to Efe, who expressed what a privilege it was for maternity to bring the 8 billionth inhabitant into the world.
The national representative of UNFPA in the Dominican Republic, Sonia Vásquez, who attended the event, said that the arrival of the baby represents “a lot of hope that all children born on this planet (…) we receive them with conditions. That is what we seek, zero maternal deaths, zero morbidity, zero diseases and health.”
World population
The world population reached 7 billion in 2011 and is estimated to peak at 10.4 billion by 2100, taking into account that the pace of global population growth has been slowing since the 1970s and fell below 1% for the first time in 2020, according to data provided by UNFPA.
In fact, population growth has slowed, fertility is declining, life expectancy continues to increase, international migration is shaping demographic change, the world’s population is aging rapidly, and women are living longer than men.
Birth rates vary from country to country, and while some populations continue to grow rapidly, others are beginning to slow down.
