Abstract
Demographic transitions are often attributed to reduced fertility, triggered by significant developments in several areas. In this respect, health gains in Africa should be more widely recognized as a driver of its population growth. The fact that Africa is getting younger while the rest of the world is ageing at a rapid rate is disconcerting. These two aspects are part of a set of considerations which distort perceptions of the reality of the continent's recent demographic evolution, and which merit closer analysis. This conference will show that the neo-Malthusian vision of Africa's demographic growth is simplistic, but that it is used to stigmatize the dangers of migratory flows.