Lessons from the Chinese experience: China's planned birth program and its transferability.

This article describes the most salient developments in the planned birth program of the People's Republic of China during the 1970s and discusses the potential for transfer of some features to other countries. Many Chinese activities are of interest because they are designed for a country with scarce resources for development and a low-income population. Some particular program features worth noting are: the encouragement of local initiative and experimentation: specific methods for the diffusion of innovation; and total integration of the health system with other development-political, administrative, economic, and social-at the grass-roots level.