Materia Medica Malaysiana

Fertility rate at new low

THE fertility rate of men and women in the country has dropped to an unprecedented level, according to the National Population and Family Development Board.
According to Kosmo, the drop had resulted in the Government shelving its plan to have a population of 70 million by 2100.
Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Chew Mei Fun said in Parliament that several factors contributed to this decline, in particular the country's development and industrialisation.
She said that many couples had put off having children in pursuit of their careers while people were getting married at a later age.
Fertility specialist Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi said the sperm count for men had dropped by half from that of the 60s and 70s.