Population Policy

Book excerpt: Access to safe abortion remains on the agenda. Quality must be improved and a range of methods provided. Population policies must also address underlying causes of high fertility. Such programs would be directed to socioeconomic change, improved child survival, increased female education, and increased opportunities for employment and income generation. A final component of population policies emphasizes delayed marriage and the age of childbearing and increased spacing between births. Population issues are primarily ethical issues about what kind of world people want to live in and the living conditions. Political will and the effectiveness of policy options will determine future actions. Donor agencies should agree to devote 4% of concessional aid to population activities, including HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health. Social development assistance should also be increased.