Letter: Another day, another 250,000 people on the planet

I REFER to your excellent coverage of the issues facing the United Nations World Population Conference in Cairo and would like to add a few facts about a day in the life of the world. They are:

910,000 conceptions will occur.

150,000 abortions will be performed, killing 500 mothers as a result.

384,000 babies will be born.

1,370 mothers will die of

pregnancy-related causes.

25,000 infants will die.

14,000 children aged 1-4 will die.

356,000 adults will become infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

Overall, the population of the world will increase by 250,000.

Man has left his footprints on the moon, but his greatest challenge is to secure a meaningful existence on earth. It is this task that faces the 160 nations in Cairo.

Eric McGraw

London SW1