PIP: Tunisia's National Office of the Family and Population has stated certain specific objectives that parallel those of the 7th economic and social development plan for the period 1987-91. 1 objective is to limit births to 240,000 in 1991, a lower figure than the 260,000 in the development plan. The strategy for attaining this goal will be to estimate the required number of contraceptive acceptors and to allocate the required number according to contraceptive method, geographic area, and intermediate plan years. In 1986, an estimated 66,000 births were averted and 230,000 actually occurred. In 1991, an estimated 91,000 births will need to be averted to reach the goal of 240,000. Without an additional family planning effort, an estimated 251,000 births would occur under conditions observed in 1986. An estimated 141,000 new acceptors will need to be recruited to meet the 1991 goal, compared to 112,000 in 1986. Abortion aside, the proportion of acceptors using each method in 1986 and the 1991 objective for that method respectively were 49% and 51% for IUDs, 9% and 10% for tubal ligation, 20% and 18% for oral contraceptives (OCs), and 22% and 20% for other methods. Other objectives of the office are to modify the characteristics of contraceptive acceptors, to reduce regional disparities in contraceptive usage, and to exert a greater influence on indirect fertility determinants. In order to reduce regional disparities in contraceptive prevalence, specific goals for OCs, IUDs, and tubal ligation have been set for each of the 7 regions. A greater effort will be required in the South East and South West, the Center East, and to a lesser degree the Center West. The Office will maintain the basic principle of availability of all methods, while encouraging the methods most accepted by the Tunisian population and the simplest to use, which are the IUD and tubal ligation. Without setting quantified objectives, the Office will strive to reduce the average age and parity of new acceptors through appropriate messages. In 1986, for acceptors of the pill, IUD, and tubal ligation respectively, the average ages were 28.5, 27.7, and 34.9 years and the average numbers of living children were 3.06, 2.80, and 5.52. Interventions to influence indirect fertility determinants will consist of such actions as improving educational programs in gouvernorates with relatively low marriage ages and improving health care in those with high infant and child mortality rates.