Approximately 500,000 women die each year as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, all but 6,000 of whom live in developing countries. Where there is no care or only unskilled obstetric care, one in every 75 pregnancies can result in the death of the mother. Under the age of 20 years or over the age of 35 years. Whose pregnancies are too close together. Who have already had several children.
Family planning is thus crucial at the health level but so too at the social level.
The lowering of fertility results in slower population growth and higher standards of living through the society's proportionately increased ability to provide primary education, nutrition, water and sanitation. 3 - To reduce severe and moderate malnutrition in children under five by one half. William Chandler in Investing in Children identifies malnutrition as the leading killer of children in the world - causing some five to eight million deaths each year. His analysis shows that poor child feeding practices claim 10 times as many children's lives as actual famine. The most effective defence against malnutrition is the combination of nutritional education, breast-feeding, oral rehydration therapy, immunization and female education.