FAMILY-PLANNING POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IN 8 LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES - A COMPARATIVE POLICY ANALYSIS

The extent to which family planning programmes are successful at reduc ing fertility remains a major debate among population scholars. A comp arative policy analysis of four pairs of low-income countries (Banglad esh/Pakistan, Thailand/Philippines, Tunisia/Algeria and Zimbabwe/Zambi a) was carried out to understand why some countries develop appropriat e and effective programmes, while other countries do not. The study fo und that the formation of coalitions among policy elites, spread of po licy risk, and institutional and financial stability were factors whic h supported or inhibited the adoption of strong population policies an d family planning programmes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.