To Sum Up

A summary of family planning data and activities in East Asian countries in 1972 is presented. Indonesia the Philippines and Thailand led the countries in the number of new acceptors. Only Vietnam is without an official government population policy. Religious opposition to family planning is less than had been thought. The major problem in East Asia is that most couples view the ideal number of children in a family as 4 2 of whom should be sons. More cooperation is needed from ministry staffs. Progress is being made in accurate targeting and in giving attention to spacing of children. Most countries need more methods of contraception. Field workers continue to be underpaid and the problem of getting money to the field promptly persists. Research results need to be used more rapidly more studies on continuation rates are necessary as well as is more work on estimates of births averted and more testing of better social security and incentive systems for family planning.