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SummaryThere is little statistical information from developing countries on the prevalence of early and late teenage pregnancies and associated health and psychosocial sequelae. Developing countries cannot be studied as an entity since they differ widely in terms of cultural background, religion, traditions, etc. However, characteristics of an underprivileged situation are: an early reproductive debut, high fertility and close spacing of pregnancies, and high maternal and infant mortality. The high maternal and infant mortality rates are related to socio-economic parameters but also specifically to the age of the mother, being increased for mothers under the age of 20, particularly for the younger ones and when there are repeated teenage pregnancies. Low minimum age of marriage for girls, typical of many developing as well as developed countries, means a consent of society for early family formation.Epidemiological studies and studies on changing reproductive behaviour in situations undergoing modernization processes are required to estimate the magnitude of the problem from health and psychosocial aspects, and in order to design appropriate services.

Fiscal systems throughout the world have been severely strained in recent years, as governments have assumed more responsibility for economic management. The developing counties, where needs are greatest and resources scarcest, have found their finances especially hard pressed. This book examines a range of issues in government finance that confront developing countries: the formulation and execution of national budget; the objectives, size, and effects of expenditures; the purposes and results of various ways of taxing income, wealth, consumption, exports, or natural resources; the role of foreign and domestic borrowings; and the consequences of financing by money creation. The book also relates fiscal operations to goals such as growth and development, economic stabilization, equitable distribution, and national self-reliance. The author stresses the need to take account of economic and political conditions and particularly administrative capacity when evaluating the suitability of fiscal measures in developing countries.