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Focus 1993 July -September English |
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B U L LET I N 0 F F A MIL y, P LAN N I N G F 0 U N D A T ION
Encounter With Population Crisis
"India - At the Threshold of the 21st Century: A Look Forward"
Dr. Abid Hussain's Lecture to Mark the World Population Day
The Family Planning Foundation under its Encounter-with-Population-Crisis lecture series invited this year eminent
civil servant and diplomat Dr. Abid Hussain who is presently Vice-Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Institute for
. Contemporary Studies, to deliver a lecture on the theme: "India - at the Threshold of the 21st Century: A Look
Forwerd". The purpose of these annual expositions by renowned personalities on or close to the World Population Day
which is observed world-wide on July 11 each year, is to bring under limelight certain crucial issues related to population,
environment and development with a view to stimulating wider discussions and debate on them.
This year's function held on July 9 was presided over by Dr. Bharat Ram, Vice-Chairman of Family Planning Foundation,
and was attended by a select gathering of population experts and environmentalists, policy makers and planners as also
representatives of international organisations. The lecture was followed by a lively question and answer session which
brought into sharp focus the various issues confronting the human race such as uncontrolled population growth, fast
deterioration of the environment as also the new approaches to meet the challenges ahead.
Introducing the speaker, Dr Bharat Ram observed that during the last 45 years the problem of population growth in India
did not get the attention that was required. According to him two most important elements of population control were
education, particularly of girls, and heath care.
Mr Harish Khanna, Executive Director of the Family Planning Foundation, in his prefatory remarks, traced the history
of this great national debate which the Foundation has initiated since 1990 under the inspiration of its Chairman, Mr
J R D Tata, by inviting eminent world personalities like Dr Norman E Borlaug, Dr M S Swaminathan and Dr Asok Mitra
to interact with an enlightened audience.
Dr Abid Hussain laid great
stress on the fact that the
population, environment and
development-related problems
were not isolated problems.
They were, in fact, global
problems and had to be tackled
as such. They could not have a
restricted,
isolated
or
protectionist view as the world
had become too small and no
nation could live or prosper in
isolation. For, the problems of
poverty,
disease
and
environmental degradation
were over-reaching
the
geographical limits threatening
the well-being of developed
and under-developed natiops
alike.
Here are some excerpts from Dr
Hussain's thought-provoking lecture.
Cause for Concern
I belong to a group or to a school
of thought in this country which firml y
believes that we have a great future
ahead and what we have achieved in
the last four decades is not
insignificant, But certainly there is one
subject on which I feel cowed down
and I do not feel strong enough to
defend our records and that, is the
question of population ... In fact when
you look at the prospects ofIndia with
850 million people already in position
and marching towards a mark called a
billion number of people on this earth,
we find that perhaps we will not really
be ableto take care of the welfare of
these great numbers.
Malthusian Trap
And that is where we feel that we
are perhaps caught in a trap. In the
language of the economists or the way
in which they put it they call it the
Malthusian Trap which implies that
the power of the earth to grow, to
produce what you call the needs of the
people will be totally overtaken by the
power of the people to expand in
numbers .
About 200 years ago, when the
18th century was coming to an end
Europe witnessed a similar situation.
But three factors joined together to
provide an answer not only to England
but to the whole of Europe :
Immigration, agricultural revolution
and industrial revolution. Now today
when we face a similar situation in the
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WORLD POPULATION DAY t993
INDIA AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE T'NUIlY-RRST CIInJI'fI
Ff->
A LOOK FORWARD
LECTURE by DR ABID HUSSAIN
ORGANISED BY FAMILY PLANNING JNDATiON
Dr. Abid Hussain (centre) who made a thought-provoking presentation on the theme:
"India at the threshold of the 21st century: A Look Forward." On his right is Dr. Bharat
Ram, Vice-Chairman, Family Planning Foundation, and on left Mr. Harish Khanna,
Executive Director of the Foundation.
developing countries and in India, one
starts wondering that can we also
knock at the doors which opened up
for Europe and find a way out of this
difficult situation? The answer
sometimes is not as favourable as one
would expect it to be. Immigration is
out. The world in which we are living
today, it is not possible for human
beings to move in waves as it had
happened earlier ....
Then comes the next question
about the green revolution and the
industrial revolution. You look as to
what had happened in Europe at that
time. They had one great advantage
that there was a geographical
overlapping between the problem of
population and the sources from which
the technologies were flowing. Today
when you look at it you find that
whether it is in Africa or in Asia or in
Latin America the problems of
population and the problems of finding
an answer to them are differently
located. There is a disjunction between
the places where you have got
technology and the places where you
have got the problem of population ....
Houi to
Handle the Problem
So therefore there comes a point
for us to realise as to how do we
handle this question. Do we handle it
only demographically by reducing the
numbers through the route of medicine.
Perhaps the numbers can be controlled
through what you call the type of
programmes that some of you are
handling. That's the programme of
family planning, family control
providing what you call contraceptives
.and trying to see that births are
controlled but then as I said that the
numbers are so large that for quite
sometime to come you will not be able
to resolve that particular issue ....
In a situation like that of India,
China and Africa it is going to take a
much longer time to find an answer.
But we have to adopt a route, whereby
we have got to control the population.
This is a challenge for the 21st century
and that is where we have got to
strengthen our sinews of this particular
programme and see as to how we can
control this particular problem.
Multi-dimensional
Approach
Now I come back to technology
again, and I would say that we will
have to find an answer to grow more
than what we are growing today,
which requires the input of sciences
and technology. So it becomes very
clear that this particular problem
cannot be just a problem of
demography but has got something te
do with economics also. It has to stand
on the two feet of what you call
economy and, let's say, the medical
approach to the problem. Because the
population problem is not a single
World Population
Day in the Capital
With the present global
population.of 5.57 billion projected
to increase to 6.25 billion in 2000
A.D., India joined the rest of the
world in celebrating the wortd
population Day on July 11, 1993
with a view to bringing under focus
the fast growing gulf between
human numbers and planet's
resources to sustain them.
In his message, the President
Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, urged
the people to " resolve to intensify
our efforts towards focussing greater
attention on proper population
control for creating a sound base for
sustained
socia-economic
progress."
To mark the Day, the President
released a special two-rupee coin
with the message of small family
norm. The Slogan "Chhota Panwar
Khushian Apaar" in Hindi and "Small
Family Happy Family" in English is
inscribed on the obverse of the coin
which also shows a couple with two
girt children in the centre.
The Prime Minister Shri P.V.
Narasimha Rao stressed that "the
active support of the people through
voluntary agencies is imperative for
success in population control."
*" '
Speaking at a function
organised in the Capital by the
Dlsectorate of Education, Delhi
Administration, the Lt.-Governor
Shri P.K. Dave said that teachers
had a significant role to play in
popularising family planning through
their interaction with parents.
*
Ms Selja, Union Deputy Minister
for Human Resource Development,
addressing a meeting organised by
the PHD Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, said that a mass
based programme, in partnership
with the government, would alone
solve the problem of population
explosion in the country.
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problem, it is many problems
combined in one and therefore you
cannot yield an answer to it by
following one course. It has got to be
different courses. And secondly, it
cannot remain onl y domestic problem
but it has got to become a global issue
which has got to be solved globally ....
Need to Have
a Global View
We cannot have a restricted,
insulated, isolated or protectionist
view of life at all. You have to have a
global view so that you will be able to
enrich yourself wi th the experiences of
outside and much more than that,
with the technologies that are available
outside to be brought into this
particular country and the rich
countries will also have to realise very
soon that the population problem of
the developing countries or the
population problem of the over-
populated countries is not going to
create problems only for those
countries, but it is going to touch the
safety of lives of the people living in
less populated or more developed
countries as well .
When National Barriers
Crumble
Today the problems of poverty in
the form of diseases and others, the
problems of poverty in the form of,
let's say, environment are over-
reaching the geographical limits.
Today when we talk in another context
about the sovereignities coming to an
end and the borders disappearing and
the world becoming a borderless
world, it's also true in these particular
issues. Today AIDS which is a disease
rampant in Africa cannot remain
confined only to Africa. It is moving
from one place to the other without
one's knowledge of it.... You mean to
say that if African forests or the Asian
forests and others are burnt out, it's
not going to have any effect on the rest
of the world. It is. The scientists, the
technocrats, the thinking minds in
Europe and America don't believe in
it. They are seeing the inter-meshing
of the things today and they realise
that this particular technological
approach which we have created in
the world today which has a meaning
and significance for a geographical
area has got its spread effect which
covers and envelops the whole world.
And therefore from that particular
angle also when you think of
technologies you have got to think
globally. I am making this particular
point to emphasise on you one thing:
that sometimes we believe that we can
solve our problems ourselves. Who
denies that we must be self-confident
of ourselves, who denies that self-
reliance is not a good thing. But under-
stand the context and the complexities
of the new world order and you will
discover that you will have to have not
only a domestic approach to some of
these problems but a global approach
as well.
A New Mind-Set
Yet one more thing which I would
like to place before you: that if you
would like the sort of an approach in
which economics- and the medicine
have got to combine together. If you
have got to think of .an .approach in
which the domestic and the global
issues have got to be meshed together
and if you believe that what happens
in the remotest part of this earth can
catch up with us, then you will realise
that it is extremely important for us to
create a new consciousness and
awareness. Unless and until a new
mind is created, unless and until a
new mind-set is generated we will
neither be able to solve the population
problem, nor the economic problem
nor the technological problem. In
almost all avenues of life there has got
to be this impact of new mind to be
made. What are we doing about it?
This is where I come to the culture of
mind, to the way we are educating our
boys and girls in the schools and
colleges ...
Globalisationhas to come in almost
everything, whether you are discussing
the family planning, or education or
security or foreign policy. Unless and
until we draw the other centre of
knowledge into out work, unless and
until we become part of the wider
world, unless and until we understand
that the new escape routes which are
based on the old ideas will not serve
and work we will be suffocating and
dying on this over-crowded earth. But
I am confident and sure of it that
institutions like yours and people like
you would take a wider view and a
broader view and a more sensible
view of these particular things and
work out a programme in which, as I
said, economics and demography, in
which technology and the problems· of
culture, in which the problems of a
country and the problems of the world,
could be joined together and thought
Simultaneously. Then alone we'll solve
the problem.
A view of the distinguished gathering applauding Dr. Hussain after the lecture
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NIHFW Prepares Interesting Models on
Family Planning
For every rupee spent on a family
planning programme, the return
has been Rs. 5 during the period
1971-1991, and if the same type of
investment is continued, the return is
.likely to be Rs. 12 in the period 1991-
2020.
This fact has been brought out in
a computer model on cost-benefit
analysis of family planning
programmes prepared by the National
institute of Heal th and Famil y Welfare
(NIHFW).
This is one of the six models
prepared by Statistics and Demo-
graphy Department head Prof Prem P
Talwar and Prof Y P Gupta, associate
professor, Department of Planning and
Evaluation.
The cost-benefit analysis of the
famil y planning programme tries to
answer those who question the benefits
of the large investments made in the
family planning progrmme in India.
This model takes cost as the actual
investment on the programme and
benefit as savings gained in several
sectors because of reduced population
due to family planning programme.
Other models : The Rapid
Presentation (consequences of rapid
population growth) model displays
the effect of population growth on.
socio-economic development and is a
tool to sensitise people and officials
about the problems which the rapidly
increasing population is creating.
The family welfare and health
planning model calculates the resource
requirements for plan formulations
more rationally based .on population
projections and goals of prevalence
and converge rates from different
programmes.
The resource allocation model
helps to optimisethe allocation of
fixed budgets to different family
welfare programmes to mini mise
infant mortality rate.
The model for birth spacing
presentation uses Indian data to show
how the demographic effectiveness of
the family planning programme and
pace of reduction in infant mortaltty
can be accelerated by emphasising
spacing methods in the programme.
A strategy options model has been
developed for programme managers.
They can assess the effects of different
programme strategies, such as focus
on sterilisation, focus on spacing
'methods, encouraging late age at
marriage, encouraging more young
acceptors.
Dissemination about these models
is being done through workshops at
the institute, besides training of field
workers, who are shown slides of the
results obtained. Secretaries in the
states are also given floppy disks of
the computer models.
Poor performance in
Health Sector
An official
review of the
implementation of 20·point programme
for the opening year of the Eighth Plan
(1992-93) has shown that in two crucial
areas of health services,
the
performance has been very poor.
The review undertaken by he
Minister of State for Planning and
Programme
Implementation,
Mr.
Giridhar Gomango, revealed that
against the target of opening 759
Primary Health Centers, only 115 PHCs
were achieved, a bare 15% during
1992-93.
In the area of opening Community
Health Centres, the performance has
been dismal as only 72 such Centers
have been opened as against a target
of 259.
Scientists' Concern at
Population Growth
Joint Venture of FPF and AIR
NEW SERIAL TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS OF ADOLESCENCE
The A" India Radio and the Family Planning Foundation are jointly
organizing a 26-part weekly radio serial on the issues related to family life
education. To be put out from October 24, 1993 as part of the Youth
Programme over 30 Akashvani stations in Hindi speaking areas, "Dehleez"
- Threshold - the proposed serial will concern itself with the sex-related and
other problems that perpetually perturb the minds of the adolescents by
providing correct and scientific information on these issues.
The serial is an offshoot of the landmark study "Population Socialisation
Among Indian Teenagers", conducted some time back by the Family Planning
Foundation with its Executive Director, Mr. Harish Khanna, as the Principal
Investigatior.
Adolescence is a critical period in the life of every teenager calling for
sensitive and careful handling. In the absence of proper guidance from the
parents or the teachers, they become victims of hearsay or misinformation
from undesirable sources causing them much avoidable worry. The AIR serial
seeks to fill up this communication gap with a view to disabusing the youthful
minds of many a wrong and harmful notion about sexuality, reproductive
health and allied issues, and thus enabling them to develop into well-rounded
personalities with greater self-assurance.
To make the programme really effective and useful, it is proposed to enlist
a few thousand listeners who are expected to send a regular feed-back that
will help in the designing of subsequent episodes.
Sixteen science academies led by
the Indian National Science Academy
and the academies of the USA,
Sweden and Britain's Royal Society
will host a major international summit
on world population in New Delhi in
October.
The four-day summit from
October 24 has been called to discuss
the problem of population growth and
tackle other related problems such
as the effect on the environment,
family planning and the role of women.
Speakers have been chosen from
a broad range of countries and each
is an expert in his or her own field.
Main aims of the summit are to
produce a joint statement in the
name of scientists worldwide,
expressing concern at population
growth, and to provide a scientific
input to the 1994 International
Conference on Population and
Development to be held in September
1994, in Cairo.
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State of the World Population, 1993
India's Population to reach 1.4 billion by 2025
While the world's population
is fast approaching six
billion, India's population
is projected to reach about 1.4 billion
by the year 2025, according to the 'The
State of World Population, 1993'
Report of the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA).
By 2025, India will replace China
as the country wi th the largest share in
Asian population. The report observes:
"Asia has 59 per cent of world's
population, Latin America nine per
cent and Africa 12 per cent. But within
Asia proportions are changing. China,
now 37 per cent of Asia's population,
will be 31 per cent by 2025 and India
will go up from 27 per cent to 29 per
cent."
India's population, which was
estimated at 879.5 millions in 1992, is
expected to grow to 1,393.9 million in
AD 2025.
The report observed that the Indian
Government spent only 1.6 per cent of
the Central expenditure on health and
only 2.5 per cent on education during
1980-90. This is one of the lowest
expenditures (after Pakistan - 0.7 on
health and 2.5 per cent on education)
from amongst the South Asian
countries.
The average population growth
rate in India between 1990-95 is
projected to be 1.9 per cent as against
1.3 in Sri Lanka, 2.7 in Pakistan, 2.4 in
Bangladesh, 2.5 in Nepal and 2.3 in
Bhutan. The average urban growth
rate is projected at 2.9 per cent during
1990-95 in India.
The average birthrate during 1990-
95 is projected to be 29 per 1000 in
India, 21 per 1000 in Sri Lanka, 41 per
100q in Pakistan, 38 per 1000 in
Bangladesh, 37 per 1000 in Nepal and
40 per 1000 in Bhutan.
The average death rate in India is
estimated at 10 per 1000 and the
average life expectancy at 60 years.
Infant mortality is projected at 88 per
thousand and the average fertility per
woman is estimated at 3.9 during
1990-95.
The report says Tamil Nadu and
Kerala have achieved low fertility and
at the same time have improved non- .
economic indicators of quality of life
such as literacy, infant mortality and
life expectancy.
Urban Crowding
The report notes that over the
1990s no less than 83 per cent of
world's population increase was
expected to take place in towns and
cities.
Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi are
among the -world's 20 largest
agglomerations
with Calcutta's
population expected to reach 15.7
million by 2000, Bombay's 15.4 million
and Delhi's 13.2 million.
The report observes that
movement from rural areas accounts
for about 60 per cent of urban growth
in the developing world. Rural areas
have not been in focus of
developmental policies. But with a
substantial proportion of populations
still in rural areas and the growing
inability of urban areas to house, feed
and employ urban migrants, rural.
development becomes imperative, the
report says.
DOES IT SOUND TOO GOOD?
Dr. Vasant Gowarikar, former
scientific adviser to the Prime
Minister, avers that India will
never become the world's most
populous nation overtaking China.
His analysis Indicates that the
annual population growth rate in
India will drastically decrease to
1.42 per cent by 2001 from the
current rate of over 2 per cent.
"Human Crisis of
Our Age"
World population is no longer looked
at in terms of natural numbers
alone. Demographers are forced
today to take into account national
and international migration, set
against a backdrop of wars, collapse
of empires, creating of countries
and terrorism while envisioning the
state of the world's population.
The UNFPA's state of the world
population report this year which
has as its theme: "The individual
and the world: population, migration
and development in the 1990's,"
estimates that there are some 100
million migrants world-wide, of
whom 17 million are documented
refugees and another 20 million
escapees from violence, drought
and environmental destruction.
According to the report, migration
among and within countries
threatens to be the "human crisis of
our age". The emphasis, therefore,
should be on balanced
development.
Governments and other action
groups must improve personal and
family life by expanding job
opportunities and providing basic
services like health, education and
family plaAning. Instead of merely
promoting
urban growth,
policymakers should concentrate
on rural development and growth of
alternative urban centres.
Sign of Hope
Perhaps the greatest sign of hope for India is that ideal family size
appears to be changing rapidly, especially among younger couples. Despite
strong cultural traditions which reinforce large families and a preference for
sons, in the cities today even couples with one child or two daughters are
seeking contraceptive sterilization. Many young rural women we talked to
said they want only two children, although most still want a son. "Economic
factors" are widely cited as a reason for wanting fewer children than in the
past. But it also seems likely that the government's success inlowering infant
mortality is paying off in the growing acceptance of the two-child family,
which a generation ago would have been unthinkable in m<;ny Indian
households.
Shanti Conly PCC's Director of Popuilltion A/lalysis il1lzer special report 011 Illdia.
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Magsaysay Award for
Dr. Couaji
Dr (Mrs.) Banoo
Coyaji, a prominent
member of the
governing board of
the Family Planning
Foundation,
has
been honoured with
the prestigious
international Magsaysay Award for
1993 for her outstanding contribution
in the field of public service and for
setting up innovative health care
programmes for rural women and
their families.
Recipient of many a coveted
award over the years, Dr. Coyaji who
was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1988
received the R. D. Birla national award
earlier this year.
Dr Coyaji's achievement lies in
her ability to transcend the
conventional limitations and reach out
a wider population demonstrating
effectively how the whole business of
integrated development should be
gone about.
The governing board of the
Foundation in its meeting held on 7th
August, 1993 extended its warm
felicitations to Dr. Coyaji for her
selection for the Magsaysay Award.
Winners of 1993 U. N.
Population Award
Dr. Fred T Sai of Ghana and
Mainichi Shimbun Population
Problems Research Council of Japan
will share the 1993 United Nations
Population Award.
Dr. Sai was chosen for his
leadership in the field of family
planning. He is noted for his
.contributions to Research on nutrition,
community welfare and family
planning, and for his direct
involvement in both national and
international programmes that address
the problems of high fertility
throughout Africa and the developing
world.
Mainichi Shimbun Population
Problems Research Council was chosen
for its achievements in creating
awareness of population issues
through Mainichi Shimbun, the
newspaper that created the council in
1949, and by continually publishing
studies, books and articles on
population.
U. S. Resumes
Population Funding
The Clinton administration has
withdrawn the boycott on support for
international organisations providing
population and family planning
assistance that extended through the
Reagan and Bush presidencies.
The U. S. Agency for international
Development announced its approval
of 1993 funds for the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFP A), the
International Planned Parenthood
Federation (lPPF) and the World Health
Organisation (WHO) human repro-
duction programme.
UNFPA, which has had no U. S.
funding since 1985, was to receive $
14.5 million; IPPF, $ 12 million and
WHO, $ 2.5 million for the 1993
financial year.
Planned parenthood can
bring down abortions
If family planning and sex
education methods were improved,
the high number of abortions which
stand at 36 to 53 millions worldwide
every year, could be brought down
dramatically.
This has been stated by the
International Planned Parenthood
Federation
(IPPF), a non-
Governmental family planning
organisation with member associations
in 140 countries in its report "Planned
Parenthood Challenges". The report
also exploded the myth that abortion
figures were highest in countries where
abortion was most easily available.
"In Western Europe where abortion
was legal (exceptfor Ireland), the rate
was about 14 per 1,000 as compared to
Latin America where abotion was
completely illegal and yet the rate was
between 30 and 60 per 1,000 women,"
the report substantiated.
Based on its surveys, the IPPF has
claimed that "the need for abortion is
related directly to the availability and
quality of family planning services
and sex education" adding that
"restrictive abortion laws did not
prevent women terminating unwanted
pregnancies." instead, they resulted in
women resorting to back-door
techniques which turned abortion into
a major killer, the report further said.
Of the total number of abortions
worldwide, 150,000 cases led to
maternal deaths due to complications
of illegally induced abortion while a
majority of these deaths occurred in
countries with very restrictive abortion
laws. Other serious complications like
infection and permanent infertility
were more prevalent and posed serious
problems for poor countries, the report
said.
FlCCl Awards for Family
Welfare and Environmental
Conservation
For their 1992-93 Awards, the
Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have
chosen Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.,
Bangalore in recognition of Corporate
initiative in the field of Family Welfare
while Shriram Foods and Fertiliser
Industries, New Delhi receive this
award for their singular contribution
in the field of Environmental
Conservation and Pollution Control
Employing a work force of 17,000,
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has
successfully motivated 92.6 per cent of
its employees to adopt small family
norm. It distinguished itself by
achieving a couple protection rate of
75.9 per cent as against 32 per cent at
the national level.
Earning unique distinction of total
compliance
of 'environmental
legislation', the effort of Shriram
Foods and Fertiliser Industries have
resul ted in reduction of effl uent
quantity by 70 per cent and chlorine
utilisation at 100 per cent.
The awards were announced at
the 66th Annual Session of FlCCI
inaugurated by the Prime Minister,
Shri P V Narasimha Rao on September
28, 1993 at Siri Fort, New Delhi.
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India and China : A Tale of two
Population Giants
Serious shortcomings in the
family planning efforts of China
and India represent major
obstacles to stabilizing population in
the world's two most populous
countries, according to recent reports
released by Population Action
International (formerly Population
Crisis Committee). The two countries
with a combined population of slightl y
more than two billion people are key
to the future size of the world's
population. The reports - China's
Family Planning
Program
Challenging the Myths and India's
Family Planning Challenge : From
Rhetoric to Action-are authored by
Shanti Conly and Sharon Camp.
They say the pressure of
population in both countries makes
the task of overall development more
difficult, and has been a major force in
environmental degradation.
The authors note that family
planning efforts in the two countries
share many of the same problems.
Both countries focus on programme
targets, rather than on satisfied family
planning users. Neither programme
offers, in practice, the broad range of
contraceptive methods and coun-
selling necessary for men and women
to make informed reproductive
choices.
Significant differences between the
programmes explain China's greater
success, says the report. Local Chinese
authorities have greater responsibility
for both the direction and funding of
family planning activities; in India, a
stifling central bureaucracy has
directed the programme according to
a set pattern, without regard to the
country's grea t geogra phic and cui tural
diversity. China has used mass media
for public education more effectively
than India, and political support and
funding for family planning have
consistently been higher in China than
in India.
The reports recognize that the low
status of women in both countries is
an impediment to family planning
success, despite efforts by the Chinese
government to reduce discrimination
against women. In both China and
India there is still a significant gender
gap in literacy and educational
attainment, and son preference is a
powerful force.
Study on the Socio-economic costs of AIDS
Study on the Socio-economic impact of AIDS has begun to cause concern
among nations.
Dr David Bloom has done a study on the economic implications of AIDS
in Asia sponsored by the UNDP. According to him, AIDS would have to be
looked into in terms of direct costs and foregone earnings, which would increase
due to the costs on various prevention strategies.
The study states that certain earnings in a manner of speaking would go
down due to increase in morbidity and mortality rate causad by this disease.
The rates of foregone earnings, according to him, are likely to be higher in India
than the direct costs.
.
Due to epidemic, there is likely to be a decline in the demand for overseas
labour. Absenteeism is also likely to rise, as already evident in Thailand.
The study also states that there will be psychic costs, which relate to the
pain and agony which will be caused due to the disease. However, it is difficult
to quantify the psychic costs.
The study also mentions inter-generation impact, according to which, the
costs will be borne by the generations to come. This is due to the fact that disease
can be passed on from pregnant mother to the offspring. Equity costs are another
type of costs by which the distribution in the society is likely to be more unequal.
It is estimated that the poor in the society will be more vulnerable to the disease
due to their ignorance. This will engender inequities in the society.
A REVIEW
"PEOPLE AND THE
PLANET"
"People and the Planet" is an
extremely well brought-out
quarterly magazine - now in the
second year of its publication -
devoted to the issues of
population, environment and
development reporting at first
hand on positive initiatives
which address these issues in a
holistic way.
Co-sponsored by the United
Nations Population Fund, the
Worid Conservation Union and
the International Planned
Parenthood Federation, it is
published by Planet 21, a recently
constituted independent, nonprofit
publishing
company,
in
association with a wide range of
international organisations which
have an abiding interest in these
crucial issues confronting the
human race and which cry for
early solutions to safeguard its
future.
Each issue of the magazine
brings under spotlight a particular
theme having a bearing on
sustainable future in a comp-
rehensive manner with the help
of topical field reports ad in-depth
analysis.
Ably edited by John Rowley
who is supported by a team of
we/I-known authorities on environ-
mental and population issues,
this high profile magazine, we are
sure, will serve as a potent
communication vehicle to realise
the lofty though most desirable
objectives it has set before
itself.
Overseas annual subs-
cription of the "People and the
Planet" is £ 12 or US $ 20.
Interested parties may contact
IPPF Distribution Unit, Regent's
College, Inner Circle, Regent's
Park, London NW1 4NS,
England.
7
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CONTRACEPTIVE UPDATE
World's first non-hormonal contraceptive
The world's first non-hormonal
contraceptive pill Centchroman,
developed by a team of Indian
scientists,
promises
risk-free
contraception.
The pill was developed at the
Central Drug Research Insti tute (CDRI)
after over two decades of research and
trials.
The scientists say Centchroman
has none of the side-effects associated
with the use of the hormonal pill, like
vomiting, nausea, dizziness or other
systemic effects such as weight gain
and thrombotic episodes. The pill has
no effect on pituitary or thyroid
function or that of the ovaries,
hypothalamus or sperm.
The contraceptive effect of this pill
is due to the action of a weak oestrogen
and a potent anti-oestrogen, that
changes the nature of the uterus, thus
preventing a fertilized egg from
implanting on it. It is unique in being
a post-coital agent.
Dr Nityanand, a member of the
CDRI team, points out that this is the
only non-steroidal contraceptive that
has been granted permission for release
by the Drugs Controller of India.
One million pills have been
manufactured by the Ahmedabad
based company Torrent Pharma-
ceuticals Ltd and as sales are high, the
company is confident about stepping
up production.
Hindustan Latex, India's largest
manufacturer of condoms, markets
Centchroman under the brand name
Saheli 'in the northern region. It plans
to increase its production to about two
million pills every month and promote
its marketing using broad-based multi-
media advertising.
Launched in July 1991, Saheli has
been approved for inclusion in the
national family welfare programme.
Family Welfare MihistrySecretary,
Usha Vohra says government had
decided to distribute it through its
social marketing network in four north
Indian states where fertility rates are
high.
Injectable Contraceptive
likely.soon
Indian women may soon get
another choice of a contraceptive. If all
goes well, the American injection,
Depo Provera, to be taken once every
three months, could be marketed in
the country.
The Union Health and Family
Welfare Ministry, it is learnt, has
recently approved the private
marketing
of the injectable
contraceptive. This follows the
recommendation made by the technical
Parivar Seva Sanstha has started a
phone-in counselling service in
Delhi on family planning methods,
adolescence problems, STDs,AIDS,
Drugs, etc. Service is available on
phone no. 4611819 between 7 A.M.
and 7 P.M. seven days a week.
committee of the Directorate General
of Health Services (DGHS) on
contraceptives.
So far as incorporation of the
intra-muscular
injection in the
government's family programme is
concerned, the ministry has not yet
taken any decision.
The proposal to add Depo Provera
in the contraceptive basket was mooted
early last year. But it met with
resistance from a number of women
groups, on the grounds that is has not
even been approved in the country of
its origin. According to Ministry
sources this hurdle can now be
overcome as the Federal Drug
Authority (FDA) in the U.S. had cleared
(around October last year) the
contraceptive.
The private marketing of the "once
in three months shot", however, will
all depend on a tie-up between an
Indian drug company with the
American firm, UpjohnCo.
for
procurement of the basic raw material.
This should not pose any difficulty in
view of the recent import policy
liberalisation.
Anti-fertility vaccine enters
second phase of trials
The anti-fertility
vaccine
developed by Dr. G.P. Talwar's team
at the National Institute of
Immunology (NIl), New Delhi has
entered the second phase of human
clinical trials after establishing its safety
and effectiveness in the first phase. It
promises to be a potent tool in the
population control programme.
Out of 1,042 menstrual cycles
observed, pregnancy was reported only
in one case. The women volunteers
were immunised with the vaccine at
three centres-the All India Institute
of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung
Hospital, both in the Capital and the
Post Graduate Institute of Medical
Education and Research, Chandigarh.
According to the norms of
international
committee
for
contraception research, New York,
recording of 750 protected menstrual
cycles is mandatory before declaringa
vaccine as effective. NIl trials achieved
this target last April. This is the first
known birth control vaccine to reach
this stage of trial in the world.
According to the annual report
(1992-93) of. the Department of
Biotechnology, which sponsored the
vaccine research programme, the
vaccine has successfully completed
the first phase of human clinical trials
and proved to be safe. The second
phase of the trials was to go on till June
end and the next phase is likely to start
in 1994.
A similar anti-fertility vaccine for
men, developed at the Indian Insti tute
of Science, Bangalore, will also enter
the phase-I human clinical trials this
year. The vaccine has been tested in
sub-human primates such as monkeys.
Published by the FAMILY PLANNING FOUNDATION, 8-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-11OO16. Tel.: 668181, 6867080, 6867081.
Designed and Printed by Reproductions India, Kapoor Holiday Inn, F-39, East of Kailash, New Delhi-110064. Tel. 6422289, 6415600.
Editorial Direction and Guidance: Harish Khanna
Editorial Consultant: J.L. Saaz