| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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develop a theoretical framework to explain the reproductive health situation, and we apply this theoretical framework to an assessment of Yemeni women's reproductive health. Second, following the WHO's definition of reproductive health, we create a measurement scale to test and assess Yemeni women's reproductive health status. In chapter 5, we analyze the early signs of fertility transition in Yemen.
Background
Since the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990, several structural reforms and policy changes have been introduced to control the country's population growth. One of the major achievements in this area has been the adoption of a national policy on population control. The National Committee for Population and Family Planning recognizes the need for a country to reduce its birth rate to achieve population and development goals. In 1990 Yemen did not have an explicit population policy, and the country is still in the early stages of demographic transition. The country's current fertility rate is 6.2 children per woman. This number reflects a high birth rate—39.2 per 1,000 population—and a declining mortality rate: 11 per 1,000 population (WHO, 2008). Yemen's infant mortality rate, however, still ranks as one of the highest in the world (75 deaths per 1,000 live births). This includes a mortality rate for children under age 5 of 102 per 1,000 live births in 2003 (WHO, 2008). From the late 1980s through the late 1990s Yemen experienced a high maternal mortality ratio of 351 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Although this number may seem low, maternal deaths represent about 42% of all deaths for Yemeni women between the ages of 15 and 49. Last, by 2002 the average life expectancy for the population of Yemen stood at 59 (57 for men and 61 for