30 Thai Health 2012

Evolution of Thailand’s Population Policies Thai Health Working Group “The 11th development plan aims to remain Thailand’s total fertility rate not to be below 1.6 and increase education level to at least 12 years.”

During the past four decades Thailand has children, the poorer” to promote voluntary family been very successful in quickly reducing the planning. This phase started in 1970 and intensified population growth rate. This success is a in the 3rd development plan (1972-1976) with result of different policies both to reduce the campaigns on family planning and incentives to population growth rate and increase the quality reduce fertility. This first phase was so successful of life for the population with better education in reducing population growth rate that the 6th and and healthcare systems. 7th development plans (1987-1996) turned to focus on family planning of specific population groups only. Thailand’s population policy can be divided into three phases. The first phase between 1970 to After the first phase success, the second 1996 was part of the first seven development plans phase during 1997-2011 paid attention to “main- and was during the phase of “population growth taining fertility rates at replacement levels” through rate reduction” exemplified by the slogan “The more the 8th development plan (1997-2001). Family Evolution of Thailand's Population Policies Thailand’s population policies Before 1964-1966 1967-1971 1972-1976 1977-1981 1982-1986 1987-1991 1992-1996 1997-2001 2002-2006 2007-2011 2012-2016 st 1965-1967 The rd 1984 The World 1989 The International 2000 Millennium Development Goals 1954 The 1 World Population concept of parental 1974 The 3 Population Conference on Population (MDG) consist of 8 goals, namely, Conference held in Rome, Italy. rights to determine World Population Conference in and Development (ICPD) 1961 The UN Population Commission family size led to Conference in Mexico City held in Cairo, Egypt • eradicating extreme poverty, Bucharest, Romania • achieving universal primary education, announced population policy. advocacy of family adopted the World followed up on the proposed a program of 1962 UN General Assembly adopted planning Population Plan of implementation action to integrate • promoting gender equality and resolution on population growth and 1970 UNFPA founded Action (WPPA) of WPPA population and development empowering women International development to replace UN as a guideline for and focused on gender • reducing child mortality rates, nd Population Trust Fund national population equality 1965 The 2 World Population policies. • improving maternal health, Conference held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia • combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and 1960’s: birth control became widespread other diseases, due to inventions of birth control devices such as contraceptive pills and intra • ensuring environmental sustainability, and uterine devices • developing a global partnership for development 1970 Voluntary family Reduction of growth Welfare policies and Reduction of Family planning Reduction of growth Optimal family size Maintenance of Maintenance of Maintaining growth planning rate from 3.0 to 2.5 laws promoted growth rate to 1.5 extensively promoted rate to 1.2 by 1996 growth rate at total fertility rate at rate not to below 1.6, Fertility by 1976 smaller population. by 1986 replacement level replacement level fertility-promoting measures Disseminating knowledge on nutrition, Rural nutrition Compulsory Compulsory education Taget of not-less-than 9 years of Target to have Fifteen years of Target of 12 years of maternal and child health. programs education extended extended from 6 to 9 years education education free education education among Thais, Maternal and child from 4 to 7 years Reduction of infant Living allowance for the Elderly increased average (2008-2011) Thai children’s average health programs mortality rates from 29 to from 300 to 500 baht per month. of ten years Ladder-scale IQ at 100 or higher National Quality 23 per 1,000 live births. living allowance Long-term policy on the for the Elderly elderly Monthly living allowance for the Elderly began in 1993. Health Primary health Care Health for All policy by Universal Coverage Scheme started in service Policy (PHC) setting basic minimum 2001 systems need indicators (BMNs) 11 Thai Population and Health Indicators Taking the pulse of Thailand’s Populational Health 31

planning was withheld in areas with fertility rates first phase of growth rate reduction. However, in at or below replacement level such as the Northern the second phase of maintaining fertility rates at and Central Regions of Thailand and Bangkok but replacement level, there has been no concrete continued to be promoted in areas with high birth success abroad and Thailand has also lacked clear rates such as some areas in the Southern and measures to address the issues at hand. As a result Northeastern regions of Thailand. the fertility rate in Thailand has continued to fall. th th It will be a challenge for the country to reverse The 9 and 10 development plans (2002- the situation for a better demographic profile by 2011) aimed to achieve a balanced demographic initiating fertility-promotion policies like in countries situation in Thailand with optimal family size by with low growth rates because of all the present maintaining the fertility of the population at replace- economic, social and family conditions that favour ment levels. However, this second-phase strategic smaller rather than bigger numbers of children. plan lacked clear action plans and fertility rates continued to drop to around 1.5 in 2011, the last year of the 10th development plan. A third phase since 2011 concentrates on preventing the fertility rate in Thailand Population growth rate and total fertility rate, 1970-2011 from falling further by promoting pregnancies 6 Total fertility rate (logistic curve) in married couples, providing tax incentives Population growth rate and child-related welfare incentives as well 3.2 as paying attention to birth quality and 3 2.7 2.7 human development. 2.0 1.1 0.8 Thailand’s population policies 0 Year have been considerably influenced by an < 1970 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 Note: Population growth rate is an average annual growth rate for past decade years international agenda, especially in the of the Census period. Evolution of Thailand's Population Policies Thailand’s population policies Before 1964-1966 1967-1971 1972-1976 1977-1981 1982-1986 1987-1991 1992-1996 1997-2001 2002-2006 2007-2011 2012-2016 st 1965-1967 The rd 1984 The World 1989 The International 2000 Millennium Development Goals 1954 The 1 World Population concept of parental 1974 The 3 Population Conference on Population (MDG) consist of 8 goals, namely, Conference held in Rome, Italy. rights to determine World Population Conference in and Development (ICPD) 1961 The UN Population Commission family size led to Conference in Mexico City held in Cairo, Egypt • eradicating extreme poverty, Bucharest, Romania • achieving universal primary education, announced population policy. advocacy of family adopted the World followed up on the proposed a program of 1962 UN General Assembly adopted planning Population Plan of implementation action to integrate • promoting gender equality and resolution on population growth and 1970 UNFPA founded Action (WPPA) of WPPA population and development empowering women International development to replace UN as a guideline for and focused on gender • reducing child mortality rates, nd Population Trust Fund national population equality 1965 The 2 World Population policies. • improving maternal health, Conference held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia • combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and 1960’s: birth control became widespread other diseases, due to inventions of birth control devices such as contraceptive pills and intra • ensuring environmental sustainability, and uterine devices • developing a global partnership for development 1970 Voluntary family Reduction of growth Welfare policies and Reduction of Family planning Reduction of growth Optimal family size Maintenance of Maintenance of Maintaining growth planning rate from 3.0 to 2.5 laws promoted growth rate to 1.5 extensively promoted rate to 1.2 by 1996 growth rate at total fertility rate at rate not to below 1.6, Fertility by 1976 smaller population. by 1986 replacement level replacement level fertility-promoting measures Disseminating knowledge on nutrition, Rural nutrition Compulsory Compulsory education Taget of not-less-than 9 years of Target to have Fifteen years of Target of 12 years of maternal and child health. programs education extended extended from 6 to 9 years education education free education education among Thais, Maternal and child from 4 to 7 years Reduction of infant Living allowance for the Elderly increased average (2008-2011) Thai children’s average health programs mortality rates from 29 to from 300 to 500 baht per month. of ten years Ladder-scale IQ at 100 or higher National Quality 23 per 1,000 live births. living allowance Long-term policy on the for the Elderly elderly Monthly living allowance for the Elderly began in 1993. Health Primary health Care Health for All policy by Universal Coverage Scheme started in service Policy (PHC) setting basic minimum 2001 systems need indicators (BMNs)