Management study of the Malaysian National Family Planning Boards programme.

The functions of the Malaysia National Family Planning Board (NFPB) are as follows: to form policies and methods for the promotion and spread of family planning knowledge and practice to promote the health of mothers and children and family welfare; programming directing administering and coordinating family planning activities in the country; training all persons involved in family planning extension work; conducting research on medical and biological methods relating to family planning; promoting studies and research into the interrelationship of social cultural economic and population factors and changes and also promoting research concerning fertility and maternity patterns in Malaysia; and setting up a system of evaluation to assess periodically program effectiveness and progress towards attaining the national objectives. The objectives of the national family planning program are to enhance and supplement the governments efforts in improving family health and welfare; promoting social development by creating productive employment opportunities; reducing income disparities; enriching cultural values; and increasing land development and improving human settlements and proper management of the environment. These objectives serve as strategic guidelines for the implementation of an effective and well-coordinated national family planning program using the broadest concepts of family planning and incorporating issues on population. Use of a multisectoral integrated approach was the predominant strategy between 1966-76 emphasizing the health welfare and well-being of the family with NFPB as coordinator of the multisectoral effort. Current strategies can be described as follows: integration of family planning and family life education services into the national social development program to provide people with alternatives for a better life and to improve womens socioeconomic status; support for related social programs and activities aimed at improving the quality of life health welfare and activities relating to family development; integration of family life education and population education into both the formal and informal educational systems; provision of contraceptive services using a "cafeteria system" based on voluntary acceptance and use of medical paramedical and other specially trained personnel; provision of consultancy services to governmental and nongovernmental agencies regarding population and family planning issues and their relationship to development; and promotion and coordination of studies and research on biomedical socioeconomic and cultural aspects related to maternity and fertility patterns and their effect on overall socioeconomic development and on family development.