Results of family planning in China

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 21

Results of family planning in China

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) < TOKYO, October 14.1 China’s family planning programmes had achieved a substantial reduction in birth in urban areas, an American demographer reported yesterday. But no information was available on birth control in the communes, Dr Irene Taeuber, senior research demographer of Princeton University, told a family planning conference in Tokyo yesterday.

The conference was discussing birth control trends in Asia and the impact of the baby boom on the economies of developing countries.

Dr Taeuber, who presented a paper on the problems of employment caused by the population explosion, told reporters that it was tragedy China was not present at the conference. But she said that combination of abortion, sterilisation, ready availability of contraceptive methods, break-up of traditional families and equality of women as well as health services down to local levels had resulted in a substantial reduction in urban births.

Another speaker, Mr Carl Frisen, cited political hesitancy, administrative complexities and irrational resistance as three reasons for delays in a significant decline in Asia’s population growth through family planning. Mr Frisen, of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, said that by 1980 another 130 million child-bear-

I ing women would have been added to Asia’s population. | This would lead to serious frisks of malnutrition, health, i damage and employment , problems for the young. He called on top-level policy makers to show more concern and world experts to co-ordinate their efforts to avert disaster. Dr Milton Mcßoberts, regional nutrition officer of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (F.A.0.), said that .malnutrition was threatening the mental and physical deI velopment of millions of i children in Asia.