About Population Policy

The National Family Planning Program of China 1995-2000

(www.unescap.org)
Updated: 2010-08-20 15:07

VI. Develop Science and Technology for Family Planning and Reproductive Health and Improve the Quality of Technical Services

(18) Continued efforts should be made to improve the overall arrangement for scientific research on family planning and reinforce the key laboratories at the national and ministerial levels so that they will gradually attain the advanced international levels . We should make the best use of the strengths of family planning research institutions in various regions and departments and form a scientific research network for family planning which is suited to China's specific conditions.

(19) In line with China's actual needs, applied research on contraception and fertility regulation should be carried out vigorously. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to basic research and research on healthier births. Efforts should be made to improve the existing techniques for contraception and fertility regulation and develop new means and methods for this end. We should study and explore the use of traditional Chinese medicine in birth control and strengthen basic research on human reproduction theories, carry out epidemiological and sociological studies on reproductive health and research on the reduction of birth defects and the prevention of hereditary diseases. International technical cooperation and exchanges should be expanded and efforts made to introduce and utilize new technologies and results of scientific research from other countries.

(20) Attention should be paid to the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements and put them into production. Greater efforts should be made to popularize new technology and collect, process and disseminate information and data on the progress of science and technology. Technical services for family planning should be strengthened and improved. Efforts should be made to ensure that every person in need of contraception will manage to learn one of the modern methods that is both safe and effective.

(21) Technical service institutions for family planning at the grassroots level should be reinforced and their role brought into full play. The equipment, personnel, structure and management procedure of health and family planning technical service institutions at the county and township levels should conform with the standards, Pre-pregnancy services should be promoted and encouraged and proper guidance offered to different categories of people of childbearing age. Technical services for contraception should be provided before pregnancies so as to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Technical counseling and services promoting healthier births and healthier childbearing should be offered to the masses.

(22) Scientific research and technical service management of family planning should be strengthened. Family planning commissions at the province (autonomous region and municipality), prefecture (municipality) and county levels should be staffed with leaders and managerial personnel well versed in science and technology.

(23) Governments and other relevant authorities should gradually increase their financial input to scientific research and technical services for family planning to meet the needs for institutional development. Meanwhile, they should explore more channels for fund-raising to boost development of science and technology in the fields of family planning.