[How do Ivorien rural populations perceive family planning?]

The government of Côte d'Ivoire has recently adopted its population policy. One of the objectives of this policy is to reduce the high rate of population growth through family planning. The success of the family planning program will depend not only on the strength of effort to be deployed, but also on the acceptability of the idea of family planning to the population, given the pronatalist nature of the society, especially in rural areas. The aim of this study is to assess the acceptability of family planning to the rural population. The study is based on a survey conducted in rural areas of the country on various issues including the social representation of family planning. Analyses rely on simple methods such as frequency tables and cross tabulation. The results show that rural populations, somehow, have an open mind towards family planning. They are interested in using family planning services if they are provided with them. However, implementation of family planning programs in rural areas requires some precautions--birth limitation should not be included among the objectives, at least at the beginning of the program; a preliminary advocacy program at the level of rural community leaders is required; there is need to adapt program strategies to the level of infrastructural development of the villages; etc.