Poor policy at the World Bank

Re “World Bank may target family planning,” April 19

Would someone please tell me why the U.S. government is imposing fundamental views on birth control on African nations plagued with poverty, AIDS, famine and political strife? It would seem to me that funding sensible family planning would be highly desirable. Yet managing director Juan Jose Daboub has allegedly ordered the removal of references to family planning from a “Strategy for Health, Nutrition and Population Results” for Madagascar. Madagascar has made improved family planning a national commitment and would greatly benefit from a World Bank loan to help in this area. Separation of church and state is once again flouted by the Bush administration.

DORIS DENT

Studio City

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Should the World Bank actually scale back its “long-standing support for family planning,” there will be an exponential rise in maternal and neonatal deaths as well as an escalation in older siblings growing up without a mother and possibly as orphans. This is contrary to the belief in a right to life and is a guarantee of death for mothers and their families in developing countries. Not only would a rollback in family planning be pro-death and anti-health, it would amount to a misogynist policy.

SYLVAIN FRIBOURG

West Hills