In September, Congress passed a spending bill for fiscal year 1997 that continues the onerous restrictions for international family planning programs that were applied in fiscal year 1996.

The bill imposes funding cuts greater than any proposed for other development assistance programs; in addition, funds cannot be released until July 1, 1997 (nine months into the fiscal year) and then only in small monthly installments. The final bill set the spending level for the program at $385 million.

But there is a chance that some of the restrictions can be loosened. The bill provides that the President can make a finding that the restrictions are having a serious negative impact on the proper functioning of the population program. If Congress approves such a finding, Congress can allow the funds to be released beginning March 1.

Real People Suffer
A coalition of groups has launched a campaign to inform the President's finding with the facts.

As AVSC President Amy E. Pollack commented, "This stop-and-start approach to funding jeopardizes the global leadership, credibility, and reliability of the United States in the field of reproductive health. It also permanently damages long-term collaborative projects to bring high-quality, enduring family planning services to poor women and men who often have no alternative source of services. Real people suffer; their lives are forever altered."

Impact on Women and Men
In early 1996, a consortium of expert organizations undertook an effort to quantify the impact of the steep reduction in family planning aid. Based solely on this year's cuts, the consortium estimates that 7 million couples in developing countries will not have access to contraceptive methods, leading to 1.9 million more unintended births and 1.6 million more abortions.

In many countries, women travel for miles to seek reproductive health care. Sometimes they go to great lengths to disguise the purpose of their absence from the village or family compound. They often do not return if services are unavailable on the day they arrive.

"It is no answer to these women if the ordered equipment, the trained health care worker, or the clinic opening has been delayed by nine, six, or even three months," said Dr. Pollack.

Medical Quality Suffers
U.S. funding provides technical assistance and training to thousands of services sites. Cuts and delays in funding will hold up training for nurses and doctors in clinical procedures and infection prevention. Shipments of training materials and up-to-date equipment will also be postponed. Delayed renovations will mean costlier renovations.

In the Philippines, the government is at a critical juncture, launching a major expansion of female sterilization in over 200 sites across the country. Funding delays will result in a missed opportunity to influence the quality of those services from the inception.

Counseling and Informed Choice
Improving counseling services and ensuring informed choice are integral parts of U.S. assistance. The mandated slowdown will result in delays in training and policy development in this essential area.

Peru is at a crucial point, for example. The government has shown a new commitment to family planning services. AVSC and other organizations that receive U.S. government funding are in a position to provide invaluable assistance regarding counseling and informed choice in these critical early days. Mistakes made in the area of informed choice can cause irreparable damage to a national family planning program.

If you would like more information about U.S. support for international family planning, call AVSC at 212-561-8043 or call the Communications Consortium at 202-326-8712.

Rachael N. Pine is the director of public affairs for AVSC. Pamela Beyer Harper is AVSC's director of communications.