Playing games with family planning

Re “The baby gap,” Opinion, Sept. 26

The best use of development assistance dollars would be for education and health, including reproductive health and family planning. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has played all kinds of games with family planning for which women in countries with high fertility rates are crying out, as evidenced by Barbara Crossette’s article. The lack of reproductive health services in developing countries has meant that the rate of deaths in childbirth has remained fairly constant over many years, as have infant mortality rates. Maternal health and child health go hand in hand.

Jane Roberts

Redlands