AND PRIORITIES M. S. Islam* - Khulna University

Khulna University Studies 4(2): 805

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⁸⁰⁸

POPULATION POLICY OF BANGLADESH: ANOVERVIEWOF SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES ANDPRIORITIES

M.S. Islam

*

Sociology Discipline,Social Science School,Khulna University

,

Khulna

-

^{9208,Bangladesh}

KUS

-

^03/51

-

¹⁶¹¹⁰³

Manuscript Received:November16^,2003; Accepted: May 18,2004

Abstract: It is now widely recognised that there isa need to take thescope of the population policy in Bangladesh beyond the confinesof achieving population stabilisation through reduction of fertility. Although in recentyears the approachtoreduceof fertility has changed fromnarrowfamily planningtoabroad basedreproductive health approach, it is being increasingly felt thatBangladesh’s population policyshouldencompass otherequally importantissues which havewide implicationsforthedevelopment processand thequality of lifeof people of Bangladesh.In this paper,some important issues and priorities have been discussed to incorporate in population policy especially highlighting the International ConferenceonPopulationandDevelopment(ICPD⁾recommendation.

Key Words:Population^, FYPs,Development^,Policy,Health

.

^ICPD

Introduction

Theconcern about the growth of population wasfirstrecognized byagroup of volunteers in the erstwhile EastPakistan in 1953

.

Sincethen different phases of experimentswereconductedpriortotheindependence of Bangladesh,sometimesindependentlyby non

-

^governmentorganizations and then with the sponsorship of the government organizations

.

However^,the sizeof the population

was

considered asareal threat since the independence of Bangladesh

.

Population problem was given a high priority in the first Five

-

^{Year Plan}

(1973

-

^{78)of theGovernment}of Bangladesh

.

Thehistoryofthe populationpolicy ofBangladesh indicatesthat theprogram hasdeveloped and expanded onthe basisofatrials anderrors

.

The post

-

independenceera ofthepolicies onpopulation basically stemmed fromthepre

-

independencelessons withsomemodifications

.

The government of Bangladesh hasformulated several policies to reduce the high population growthinthe country

.

Since the main componentofgrowth is fertility,primaryfocuswas onthe reductionof fertilitythrough family planning

programme

(Nabi,2001)

.

Butthe maximum policiesare basedupon theoretical perspectives,which are notpractical and difficult to achieve in the present setting due to lack of clearly specified modes through which the targets can be realized.The proposed population policies exclude the mainfocus of theICPD94and thus presents only a transitionfromone type of service delivery system toanother extended typewithout referringtothe needof integration ofdevelopment strategies intopopulation dynamics

.

Infact,toformulate

any

populationpolicies, different demographic, economic, social, cultural and political factors should be included into population dynamics

.

Since the International Conferenceon Population and Development held inCairo in 1994, the Government of Bangladesh initiated a process to develop a population policy to take account of the challengingissues

.

Consequently,thescope of population policies haswidenedtoabroader spectrum

-

from sheer population size, distribution, structure and changes composition, changes to poverty alleviation, gender equality, reproductive health,

planning

and management

,

human

resource development,

quality

of life

, good governanceandcivil society

.

Inother words, population policy has becomeanelementofthe complex social development

process .

⁽Hossain et al„ 2003)

.

In this paper, the population policy is critically examined through incorporating a multidimensionalparadigmwithparticularemphasisonthe policyintheICPD.

Population Policies inthe Past

The first attempt^toprovidefamilyplanning methodswas initiatedbyaprivate Family PlanningAssociation in 1953(Clelandet al„1994⁾

.

Thiseffortwas mainlymadeinorderto provide clinicalmethodsincitiesata limited scale with the helpofgovernment and donoragencies

.

^Initially,both knowledge and utilizationwere

very

low

.

However,although this program hadno visible impact on the demographicparametersofinterest, the trainingprograms organized during this periodpaved

way

foran improvedsystemsubsequently.

The government recognized thepopulation problem duringthefirst Five

Year

Plan(FYP)of Pakistan(1955

-

60

⁾, particularlyafter 1958,and made provision for financialsupportfrom the central government tohelp the promote family planning through voluntary efforts

.

Although it paved the way for the future development of population regulationofthe country^,theprogrammefailed toachieve the target setforth in the plan (Adil, 1969:16⁾

.

In the second FYP of Pakistan (1960

-

^{65), the government made a budgetary}

provision for family planning services in the country stressing the distribution of contraceptives through clinicsandhospitals.Buttheprogrammeachieved only15percentofitsdistributiontarget.

The first broad step ^to integrate clinical services, communication programs and expansion in outreach programsweremadeduring 1965

-

^70.Afamily planningboardwasestablishedtoemphasize the fast growth of the program.During this phase the impact of the program was verylittle but wassuccessful in creating

‘

CorrespondingauthorTel

.

^:88

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⁰⁴¹

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⁷²⁰¹⁷¹

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³

.

^Ext

.

^281;Fax.:88

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⁰⁴¹

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^731244;e

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^{mail:regekuly@bttb.net}

.

^bd

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2002.4.2.0351-ss

Islam

awarenessabout population problem as well as about the^methodsof contraception

.

Daiswere responsible to promote and recruit methods of contraception ^while maleorganizers usedto recruit clients for vasectomy and condoms. Cleland et al

.

⁽

19941

observed that the high level of commitments with large budgets but withina short span of time without pilot testing the optimum modes of delivering services resulted inthe failure of the program

.

The program was heavily dependent on IUD, which ^was not popular among the women.The quality ofservices

was

verypoorandmisreportingof usersof

IUD

madeitdifficult tomeasure thesuccessoftheprogram

.

After independence in 1971^, a large number of new policies

were

incorporated into the first and second FYPs(1973

-

^78and1980

-

^85,respectively⁾

.

In June 1976^,thegovernment

came

outwithconcreteproposals onNationalPopulation Policy

-

^{the first}comprehensiveofficialstatementonthe issue

.

The main features of these two FYPs were: ⁽i⁾ the system of financial intensive was stopped^{; (}ii) oral contraception

was

introduced forthe firsttime; (iii)theabotion law was temporarily^relaxed;(iv) family planning and health programmes were^{integrated;(v)}maternity child

health

^servicesand family planningwereintegrated under the populationcontroldivision of ^theMinistry and^Health Population^;(vi⁾stresswas laidon field workers (bothmalesand females⁾atthegrassrootlevels;(vii)

a

lotof importance

was

attached tothe

mass

andlocal folk

-

media and the involvement of ^voluntary organizations and social groups of all kinds in promoting family planning in Bangladesh.

Afterthe promulgation of Marital Law in March

1982

^,the government launched a two year

Emergency

Population Control Programme⁽Population Control and family Planning Division,1982⁾amingat 100 per cent achievement of the targets set in the secondFYPperiod (1980

-

^{85). In this backdrop,}different steps werematerialized during^thefirst,second,third^,andfourthFYPs

.

^{However, severalworkshopswereheldin}

ordertorevisethepriorities for the family planningprogrammes inBangladesh during mid

-

^nineties

.

^Butthis

goal was

never

attained due to several causes such

as

^; inadequate contraception^, fear and anxiety

over

contraception^, lack of sufficient motivation for family planning, corruption, lack of commitment and dedication of the workersetc(Hossainet al

.

^,2003)

.

CurrentPopulation Programmes

The most recent document on strategies to ^reduce the population growth is formulated by development partnersandstakeholders^{,accepted bythe}Ministry ofHealthand Family Welfare⁽one ofthestakeholders^), is named as the Health and PopulationSector Strategy (HPSS)

.

The main objectiveof thisstrategy is to reform the health and population sector in order to provide an essential ^services package (ESP⁾ to the populationof Bangladesh(GOB, 1998)

.

Themain sectoral objectives ofHPSSare:(a⁾ maintenance of the momentumofefforts in Bangladeshtolower fertilityandmortality^{, (}b)reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity,and⁽c)reductionin theburdenof communicable^diseases

.

The ESP comprises of four components: ⁽

a

⁾ basic reproductiveand child health services^,(b) control of selected communicable diseases^,(c)limited curative

care

^, and⁽d)behaviour change communication

.

It is expected that^theESP willbedelivered through primary healthcaresystemat community^,union, thanaand district levels.The implementation strategies of HPSS include strengthening of support systems such as communications^,logistics,human resourcedevelopment and managementinformation systems

.

Thesewill heavily depend upon policy changes to make the system

more

cost

-

effective through restructuring of organization and management of service delivery and increased involvement of community in monitoring and evaluation

.

Oneof the major preconditions for an effective system of providing ESP is^througha unified linemanagement system^,instead of the currentbifurcatedsystem.Themajor shiftproposedin theHPSP is from door

-

steps service ^to a one

-

stop client

-

oriented service

.

This transition depends upon fulfillment of several preconditions

.

The preconditions are: ⁽a⁾ communities are to be involved in planning and management of services^{, (}b⁾communityparticipation in settingupof facilities^,(c)maintenance of flexible mix of fixed site and mobile sitestoensureextended coverage, (d)change in the behaviourof women to receive services fromstaticcentres

.

Population Planning and ICPD 94 Recommendations

The ICPD 94 was a follow

-

^{up of similar consensus oriented World Population} Conferences held in Bucharestin1974 and in MexicoCityin 1984.Thepurposeof the1994ICPDwasto examineandconsider the newly emerged issues of population within the framework of a much broader perspective of interrelationships between population^,development and environment

.

It was observed that none of these could be consideredinisolation due^totheircloseinterconnectedness

.

Therewasconsensus^thatpopulation^, poverty^,patternsof productionandconsumption;education,economic status and empowerment of women and environmentare interconnected

.

Oneoftheobjectives ofICPD94⁽UN, 1996)states that the population concerns are tobe fully integrated into development strategies^, planning^,decision making and resource allocation at all levelsand in all regions^,with the goal of meeting theneeds,andimproving the quality of life^, of present and future generations

.

Another objective of similar importance is that all ^aspects of development planning need ^to promotesocial justice andto eradicate poverty through sustained economic

806

Population policy of Bangladesh:Anoverviewofsome important issuesandpriorities

growth in the context of sustainable development

.

The plan of action suggested in the ICPD

94

that international^, national, and local level population issues should be integrated into the formulation, implementation,monitoring and evaluation of allpoliciesandprogramsrelatingtosustainable development

.

There is

a

clearemphasis

on

theformulation of development strategies inorder toreflect implicationsand consequences ofpopulation dynamicsalongwithproductionand consumption

.

Reproductive Health:A newparadigm

WorldHealthorganization(WHO)definesreproductive health as

-

^{“ Acondition in which} reproduction is accomplished a state of complete physical, mental and social well

-

^{being, and not merely the absence of}

diseases

or

disorders ofthereproductiveprocess”(WHO1994)

.

The Programme of Action document of the ICPD

1994

has explained reproductive health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matersrelating to the reproductive systemand to itsfunctionsand process

.

Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and thefreedomtodecideif^,when and howoftentodo

so .

Implicit inthis last condition

are

the right of men and women to be informed and to have

access

to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods

of

family planning of their choice^,

as

wellas other methodsof family planning oftheirchoice for regulationoffertilitywhich arenotthe againstthe law,and the right of the access of appropriate healthcare

-

^{services,that willenablewomen togo}safely through pregnancyand childbirth and providescouplewith the best chance of having a health infant (UNFPA 1995)

.

^{According to} the broad definition, the basic elementsof reproductive health covers a range of reproductive problems, including family planning, safe motherhood, safe abortion facilities^, adolescent reproductive health, infertility

.

Reproductive Tract Infections(RTIs),andSexuallyTransmittedDiseases(STDs),HIV/AIDS^,concern of reproductive tract,and reproductive health needs of disables⁽Barkatetal

. ,

1997)

.

^{It mayappear} from the list of elementsthatthe medicalisation of diseases and supply of service deliveries could be enough to take care of women’s reproductive health

.

Medicalscience and technology playa very importantrolein protecting human health. But

we

alsoknow that humanhealth istheoutcomeof

a

combinationof biological,genetic,environmental and socio

-

economic factor

.

Population Policy: Some Missing Links and Concluding Remarks

It is clearly evident from our discussion that the most important principles that constitute the major objectivesofthe ICPD94have been excludedfrom the maximum number of proposed population policies. The interrelationships between population and development factors

are

ignored in the population policy, which will not only delay our economic growth but it will also delay the process of stabilization of our population toagreatextent and it will eventually leadustoavicious cycle ofpoverty.

Theimpactof population momentumon the numberofwomenin reproductiveagesaswellas theproblem of rapidlygrowingelderly population have not beenaddressed adequately in theHPSSorin the proposed strategies of the population policy

.

If these are not taken into account in our planning process with high prioritythenthesocio

-

economic and health hazards will make thepopulationpolicy redundant

.

After reviewing theexisting literature, researchers havesummarised

some

of the major constraints of the existing

GOB

programmes and interventions

.

Technical competence like skills for communication, counselling^,examination,screeninganddiagnosing RTI orotherinfectionswas found to bevery inadequate.

Service providers were found to have inadequate knowledgeon PHC

,

nutrition, immunisation, and minor ailments(Mamud et al

.

, 1990)

.

^{Severalstudies} found that records of fallow

-

up visit, complications and managementofcomplicationsofMR clients

were

deficient.AcuteshortageofMRinstruments wasfoundin severalstudies. Information,Education,Communication(IEC)activitieswerefound to be insufficientatthe communitylevel

.

IEC activities for preventionandpromotionoftreatmentsof STDs,RTIsand HTV/AIDS werefoundtobenon

-

^{existent(Islamet}al

.

^{, 1994)}

.

Existing IEC activitiesdonotaddress the growingneed for reproductive health related care of the adolescents

.

To achievefurther

success

the implementation of the priorities recommended by the ICPD, the broader circumstancesof

women

’

s

livesthataffect their abilitytopromotetheir ownhealthandthat of theirfamilies mustbeunderstood. Adequateknowledgeinthecircumstancesunderwhich women managetheir health isa prerequisite to gaininsights intothedynamicsof theproblem

.

Otherwise,rightpolicies forthe improvement of

women’s

health could not be formulated

.

Human ecology and natural ecosystem also have important bearingsontheway of life of aparticularpopulation

.

Certaindemographic trends can also beadriving force that could determine health management pattern of a society

.

Theelements that determine a population^’s health go beyond physiological factors to include gross national product^, wealth distribution^,

access

to employment,

access

to educational facilities, environment and physical infrastructure in rural and urban settingsand politicalculture through which individuals and groupscan influence distribution of resources that affect health anddiseasesof a society

.

Therefore,any understandingon reproductive health problems

807

Islam

mustencompassnot onlydiseases, disorders,and service deliverysystemsbut alsoawayof life,behavior, socio

-

economic conditions^,environment^,ecosystems, and asystemof cultural values, beliefs and practices ofasociety(Hossainetal„2003)

.

Sotoformulate any population policies in conjunction with theICPD programme of actionthefollowing issues could be prioritised for Bangladesh which may include population and sustainable development, poverty alleviation, human resource development, generation of employment opportunity, sustainable environmental protection, health and family welfare, unequal hierarchical land relations, elimination of gender discrimination, women education, reproductive rights^, adolescents health and men’s involvement, transparency and accountability, planning, management and reforms, advocacy and communication^, good governance and civil society etc

.

These are the issues which needed to be addressed for a meaningful population control and for creatingarelatively rich and healthy economy both socialandeconomicterms

.

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.

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.

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