Giving Compass' Take:

• Bill Gates discusses his concern over the rapid growth of Africa's population and the impact it will have on overall poverty. Gates says that investing in youth is the answer as well as providing access to contraception. 

• How can  African governments do more to invest more in Africa's youth and their future opportunities? 

• Read more about youth employment in Africa. 

Rapid population growth in some of Africa's poorest countries could put at risk future progress towards reducing global poverty and improving health, according to a report by the philanthropic foundation of Bill Gates.

Demographic trends show a billion people have lifted themselves out of poverty in the past 20 years, the report found. But swiftly expanding populations, particularly in parts of Africa, could halt the decline in the number of extremely poor people in the world, and it may even start to rise.

"Population growth in Africa is a challenge," Gates told reporters in a telephone briefing about the report's findings.

The biggest things are the modern tools of contraception," Gates said. "If you have those things available then people have more control over being able to space their children."

According to U.N. data, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world's population growth between 2015 and 2050. Its population is projected to double by 2050, and could double again by 2100.

"To continue improving the human condition, our task now is to help create opportunities in Africa's fastest-growing, poorest countries," the Microsoft founder and his wife wrote in the report. "This means investing in young people."

Read the full article about Africa's population growth by Kate Kelland at Reuters