| Description | Address on the population explosion, given to a local group of the Soroptimists, 5 January 1967. States that population reduction is crucial to the development of developing countries and to the sustained growth and well-being of developed countries; the world's rapid population growth in the twentieth century has been effected by medical advances; if the present trend continues the world will need to treble its food production.
Cites examples from her recent trip to the Far East (November - December 1966), where she had an opportunity to study the problem at first hand in Japan, Hong Kong, India and Pakistan: the increased life expectancy of Indian women from 25 to 47 has extended their reproductive span three-fold; Hong Kong's post-war population growth has been augmented by immigration from mainland China, placing a strain on housing, education and health infrastructure; in 1951 the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong was established with two clinics, by 1967 this had risen to fifty-two and it was estimated that about 25,000 births may have been prevented.
Encourages members to provide financial help to the British Family Planning Association's fund-raising efforts to provide mobile family planning clinics in India. Also mentions the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which was established in 1952 to bring together the 38 national family planning associations that existed at that time. |