Peace Without Poison

Samoa gained its independence from New Zealand in 1962 and a year later began interferingwith fertility. The Head of State or O le Ao o le Malo (Chieftain of the Government) responsiblefor adopting covert methods of depopulation is Malietoa Tanumafili II (1962-2007). During hisreign, the total fertility rate decreased from 7 to 4.4 children per woman.The incumbent Tufuga Efi (since May 2007) has shaved off another child from Samoa’s totalfertility rate, which now stands at 2.94 children per woman.Attesting to the fact that contraceptive never played a role in Samoa’s fertility decline is thecountry’s contraceptive prevalence rate, which until the mid-1990s was below 20%, currently isbelow 30% and only exceeded 40% for a brief period in 1996.705 | P a g e