The crucial difference in development
Sattar, M.A.
Integration 16: 26-29
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0916-0582 PMID: 12282166 Document Number: 362332
The 1974 International Conference on Population in Bucharest was characterized by a sharp polarization between developmentalists, who maintain that development itself will lead to the evolution of appropriate fertility patterns and the control of population growth, and family planning proponents, who insist that family planning programs should be an integral part of national development policies. By the 1984 International Conference, this theoretical debate seemed largely resolved, as indicated by the following resolution: "The basis for an effective solution of population problems is, above all, socioeconomic transformation and, therefore, population policies must always be considered as a constituent element of socioeconomic development policies and never a substitute for them. However, even if social and economic development is slow or lacking, family planning programs may have an impact on the level of fertility." More recent conferences have advocated that population programs should take a more comprehensive view of family health and family development. They have proposed that health and family planning be included as integral parts of national development programs and that these efforts become community endeavors. The main emphasis is on overall improvement of the quality and accessibility of maternal-child health/family planning services, particularly in urban slums and rural areas. At present, debate is centered on 3 new issues. 1st, there is concern that the growing polarization between rich and poor in developing countries. Allocation of funding to defense and armament expenditures rather than human needs is leading to political tensions and the potential for violent revolutions. 2nd, there are tensions between those who favor the transfer of sophisticated Western technology to the health care systems of the Third World and those who advocate more appropriate technology and reliance on indigenous human resources. A 3rd problem area is how to balance the need to address emerging issues such as adolescent pregnancy, drug abuse, and rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection with shrinking funds from national budgets and international donors.