infant and child mortality and high fertility. Children, especially sons, constitute old-age security for the parents. Apart from attempting to reduce child mortality rates, the provi-sion of social security to parents so that they do not have to depend on their children's labour for their survival would go a long way in encouraging small families. But in what appears to be unanimity on reduc-ing the state's welfare burden, no party appears to have given much thought to such measures.