Is the Asian family planning program model suited to Africa?

Abstract

This paper examines four Asian countries where fertility declines between the early 1960s and early 1980s ranged from 29 to 57 percent and contrasts their situations with seven African countries where fertility either remained constant or rose. It is shown that the difference is not explained by the African countries being at an earlier stage of socioeconomic development nor by the failure to provide family planning programs. The explanation is a lack of African demand for limiting family size, the result of family structures and economies quite different from Asia, and of essentially religious attitudes toward fertility that have an impact both on family economics and the acceptability of various forms of fertility control. These attitudes, together with the nature of the African state, mean that governments could not implement the forceful family planning policies that have at times characterized the programs of China, India, and Indonesia.

PIP: This paper examines 4 Asian countries where fertility declines between the early 1960s and early 1980s ranged from 29 to 57% and contrasts their situations with 7 African countries where fertility either remained constant or rose. It is shown that the difference is not explained by the African countries being at an earlier stage of socioeconomic development nor by the failure to provide family planning programs. The explanation is a lack of African demand for limiting family size, the result of family structures and economies quite different from Asia, and of essentially religious attitudes toward fertility that have an impact both on family economics and the acceptability of various forms of fertility control. These attitudes, together with the nature of the African state, mean that governments could not implement the forceful family planning policies that have at times characterized the programs of Asia. It seems likely that before the end of the century some Africian national family planning programs will begin to record a degree of success. This will be more probable if efficient experimental programs in limited areas can demonstrate both a demand for such services and an ability to deliver them in a way that causes fertility to demonstrably fall.