World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
World Development Report 1984
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ecome less valuable as workers and sources of As Chapter 7 showed, if current public expendiold-age<br />
security, and as information about the pos- tures on family planning in developing countries<br />
sibility of birth control spreads. Parents time the were increased by 50 percent, it would be possible<br />
births of children, have fewer of them, and spend to meet the need that more than 65 million couples<br />
more on their health and schooling. now have for family planning services. Quadru-<br />
The gap between the private and social gains to pling the funds by the year 2000 is necessary to<br />
high fertility provides additional justification for bring the "rapid" fertility decline described in<br />
governments to act in areas that already merit gov- Chapter 4. These targets are ambitious but not<br />
ernment action. This <strong>Report</strong> has emphasized pol- hugely expensive: quadrupling the foreign aid<br />
icy measures to increase people's welfare as well spent on population programs would mean spendas<br />
(and as a means) to reduce fertility: education ing a total of about $2 billion (in 1980 dollars),<br />
(particularly for girls) and more primary health equivalent to about 5 percent of all aid programs in<br />
care for mothers and children. But it has also noted 1982. A new generation of programs is now buildthat<br />
measures to raise living standards take time to ing on the past, emphasizing easier access through<br />
lower fertility. On the one hand, this underscores outreach programs, and, to reduce discontinua-<br />
- the need to act now to improve education, to tion, greater choice of methods, follow-up of clireduce<br />
mortality, and to improve women's oppor- ents, and better communication between protunities,<br />
so that a sustained decline in fertility can viders and clients. These programs are not<br />
be realized in the long run. On the other hand, it expensive but will require new financing to reach<br />
also means that other actions with a more immedi- growing numbers of users.<br />
ate payoff are desirable. Virtually no developing This <strong>Report</strong> has shown that economic and social<br />
country is yet doing all it might to promote later progress helps slow population growth; but it has<br />
marriage and to inform people of the health and also emphasized that rapid population growth<br />
fertility benefits of breastfeeding. And in countries hampers economic development. It is therefore<br />
in which parents have only as many children as imperative that governments act simultaneously<br />
they want, but the desired number of children is on both fronts. For the poorest countries, developstill<br />
high, carefully designed financial incentives ment may not be possible at all, unless slower popprovide<br />
an additional mechanism to encourage ulation growth can be achieved soon, even before<br />
lower fertility. higher real incomes would bring down fertility<br />
At the same time, new data on fertility and con- spontaneously. In middle-income countries, a contraceptive<br />
use show that many couples still have tinuation of high fertility among poor people could<br />
more children than they want and do not benefit prolong indefinitely the period before developfrom<br />
adequate family planning services. The gap ment significantly affects their lives. No one would<br />
between actual and desired family size means that argue that slower population growth alone will<br />
a public policy to provide family planning informa- ensure progress; poor economic growth, poverty,<br />
tion and services will bring fertility closer to and inequality can persist independently of popusocially<br />
desirable levels at the same time that it lation change. But evidence described in this<br />
helps couples have the number of children they <strong>Report</strong> seems conclusive: because poverty and<br />
want. Though the private sector might be expected rapid population growth reinforce each other,<br />
to fill this need, and has done so to some extent in donors and developing countries must cooperate<br />
urban areas, it cannot make much progress in rural in an effort to slow population growth as a major<br />
areas, where backup health systems are poor and part of the effort to achieve development.<br />
information about birth control spreads only<br />
slowly,<br />
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