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Andelot Professor of Demography
Department of Population and International Health
Building I, Room 1104 B
Phone: (617) 432-4075; 495-3007
Fax: (617) 566-0365
E-mail: ahill@hsph.harvard.edu
Modern contraceptive technologies are being offered to developing countries everywhere. In rural Gambia, both the Ministry of Health and other non-governmental organizations are providing western contraceptives to rural people in a variety of experimental projects. In a project supported by the UK Medical Research Council, and the Mellon and Rockefeller Foundations, it has been possible to follow a set of women originally identified around 1983 to ascertain their fertility behavior and attitudes. Beginning with a baseline survey of some 3000 women of reproductive age, it has been possible to keep in touch with women and their husbands as they pass from one stage of the reproductive cycle to another. Working with Caroline Bledsoe (Northwestern University), we have accumulated a body of new information which provides valuable insight into the motives for adopting western contraception. First, the restriction of the total number of births seems to be a low priority. Second, despite the low prevalence of contraceptive use, we find that the population is quite familiar with the problem of engineering births when required. Thirdly, the link between child-bearing and the health of mothers is well understood. Thus, western contraception meets certain needs but not necessarily those of the originators of the methods. New approaches to the delivery of family planning and other health services for women are being developed with the support of the Gambian government.
Ph.D., 1969, Durham University
