Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...
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several countries, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility transiti<strong>on</strong> has slowed or“stalled”. In some cases <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re has been no change <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>level of fertility <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> two decades. Similarly, c<strong>on</strong>traceptiveuse has rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed well below <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> average for less developedcountries, even 50 years after family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmeswere first <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduced, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> several countries c<strong>on</strong>traceptiveuse appears to be decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Thus, it is plausible that a“repositi<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g” of family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong> would havea positive effect <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> reduc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> level of unmet need <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>facilitat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility levels (Roberts<strong>on</strong>,2009).<str<strong>on</strong>g>Family</str<strong>on</strong>g> plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ICPDProgramme of Acti<strong>on</strong>To repositi<strong>on</strong> family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development agendaof <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> countries, as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r regi<strong>on</strong>s of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world,it is first necessary to underst<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> current status offamily plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to identify <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> factorsthat have c<strong>on</strong>tributed to this status. This is more complexthan it first appears. Prior to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1994 ICPD Programmeof Acti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ciple measure of success of a familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programme was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>traceptive prevalence rate(CPR) or <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> “acceptor” rate. In most countries it couldbe assumed that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re was a reas<strong>on</strong>ably close relati<strong>on</strong>shipbetween CPR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility levels (as measured by TFR). IfCPR was ris<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as a result of family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes,<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n reduced fertility could be expected. Thus, familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g reduced fertility <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reducti<strong>on</strong> of fertilityc<strong>on</strong>tributed to reduced populati<strong>on</strong> growth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> more rapidec<strong>on</strong>omic growth. After ICPD, both CPR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> TFR lostfavour as policy targets because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use of such statisticalmeasures appeared to violate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ciple of voluntarism<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> aim of meet<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividual needs. The ICPDProgramme of Acti<strong>on</strong> encouraged countries to move awayfrom a macrolevel focus <strong>on</strong> statistical <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicators <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>use of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>centives <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> dis<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>centives by family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gprogrammes towards a microlevel approach focused <strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> freely chosen reproductive goals of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividuals <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>couples. This was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terpreted by many to mean thatnati<strong>on</strong>al populati<strong>on</strong> policies should not employ fertility orgrowth targets at all. A more extreme positi<strong>on</strong> was thatpopulati<strong>on</strong> policies were no l<strong>on</strong>ger necessary <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> countriesshould be discouraged from formulat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m.The ICPD Programme of Acti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fact, attempted toma<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e balance between populati<strong>on</strong> goals at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>societal level <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reproductive rights of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividuals <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>couples. The reducti<strong>on</strong> of populati<strong>on</strong> growth was treatedas a “legitimate <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest” of governments, particularly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>text of envir<strong>on</strong>mental susta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ability <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reducti<strong>on</strong> ofpoverty, but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> legitimacy of this <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest was c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>al<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> extent to which demographic rates <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> social,ec<strong>on</strong>omic <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental goals were imbalanced.Thus, “stabilizati<strong>on</strong>” of populati<strong>on</strong> growth ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than itsrapid reducti<strong>on</strong> was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> key policy objective. While familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is menti<strong>on</strong>ed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> various c<strong>on</strong>texts, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g makes up a significant secti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> chapter <strong>on</strong>reproductive rights <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reproductive health, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ICPDProgramme of Acti<strong>on</strong> goes to some length to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>sulatefamily plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g from macroec<strong>on</strong>omic c<strong>on</strong>cerns <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> toplace it firmly with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>text of reproductive health<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> rights. The pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ciple of “<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formed free choice”, it wasargued, should govern family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes. Ifeducati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> services are provided, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividuals can beexpected to “act resp<strong>on</strong>sibly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> light of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own needs<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> those of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir families <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> communities” (UnitedNati<strong>on</strong>s, 1995, para. 7.12). The implicati<strong>on</strong> was thatgovernments do not need to set <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reproductive goals of<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividuals <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> families, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> should not do so.Importantly, this argument was supported by a comparis<strong>on</strong>of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>traceptive use targets c<strong>on</strong>ta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> development plans of 12 develop<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g countries<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> level of fertility that would be achieved <strong>on</strong>ly if<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> expressed fertility desires of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividual women wereachieved. Analysis by S<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, et al. (1994) showed that,by reduc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> unmet need for family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, fertilitylevels would be <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same, or lower, than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> demographictargets specified <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> government development plans. Theyc<strong>on</strong>cluded:<str<strong>on</strong>g>Family</str<strong>on</strong>g> plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g still needs quantitative objectives by whichto assess <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir performance. But <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se objectives can <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>should be addressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms of satisfy<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g people’s statedneeds ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than planners’ noti<strong>on</strong>s of what a society’sbirthrate should be.This pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ciple was accepted <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> formulati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ICPD Programme of Acti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> has been <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> underly<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gphilosophy of family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n.Address<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g unmet need ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than demographic targetshas been <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cornerst<strong>on</strong>e of reproductive health <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1994 ICPD.In harm<strong>on</strong>y with this voluntaristic formulati<strong>on</strong>, governmentswere expected to assess <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> extent of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> “unmet need” forfamily plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to meet those needs by, am<strong>on</strong>g o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmeasures, remov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g “all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> major rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g barriers to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>utilizati<strong>on</strong> of family-plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g services” (United Nati<strong>on</strong>s,1995, para. 7.19). The Programme of Acti<strong>on</strong> fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rstates that “governmental goals for family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g shouldbe def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms of unmet needs for <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>services” (United Nati<strong>on</strong>s, 1995, para. 7.12). The ICPD +5review of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Programme of Acti<strong>on</strong> was more explicit <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>proposed that “Where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a gap between c<strong>on</strong>traceptiveuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> proporti<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dividuals express<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a desireto space or limit <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir families, countries should attemptto close this gap by at least 50 per cent by 2005, 75 percent by 2010 <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 100 per cent by 2015” (United Nati<strong>on</strong>s,1999, para. 58).64