Family planning program effectiveness : report of a workshop

Workshop participants sought to identify from research and experience the combination of direct FP services and development activities most appropriate for reducing population growth in specific country situations. Part I summarizes the four background papers used as a framework for discussion, one of which was a typology for estimating the possible success of FP strategies in a specific country; Part II summarizes discussion of individual country experiences and policy-related issues; and Part III summarizes areas of consensus and concluding statements. Country conditions identified as crucial to FP effectiveness are political commitment, administrative ability, and the socioeconomic and cultural acceptability of FP. Countries were categorized as "certain," "probable," "possible," and "unlikely" to achieve an annual birth rate of 20 per 1,000 by the year 2000, based on the above-noted typology. It was proposed to follow the Asian Bureau in adapting FP programs to each country's needs by varying their sequencing, their mix of services, and their relationship to other development activities, including efforts to enhance the status of women and to upgrade the quality and availability of demographic data. Consensus was reached on recommendations to: (1) adopt a country-specific approach to FP planning and policy based on realistic, long-term goals; (2) identify conditions within individual countries, regions, or subgroups that favor specific strategies; (3) provide more varied and more flexible FP services; (4) seek support from local governments and institutions for a decentralized FP program; (5) promote awareness, especially among African politicians, planners, and decisionmakers, of the links between population and development; and (6) revise FP policy statements to reflect the large numbers of adult unmarried women and the high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Two of the four background papers are appended.