The traditional theory of demographic transition developed by Professor F.W. Notestein and his colleagues has occupied the center stage in the demographic literature for quite a long time. This theory was developed on the basis of the demographic experience of the developed world.

The Indian Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act came into force in 1972, in response to the high mortality and morbidity associated with illegal abortion. However, 25 years on, both restrictions in the law and the way it is implemented through service delivery have failed to meet the aborti

In 1991, an article on the Maternity Care Program in Matlab, Bangladesh, reported a substantial decline in direct obstetric deaths in the intervention area, but not in the control area. The decline was attributed primarily to the posting of midwives at the village level.