When the country became independent, population-control policies were all the rage (this was the period of China’s one-child policy and India’s forced sterilisations). Happily lacking the ability to impose such savage restrictions, the government embarked instead upon a programme of voluntary family planning. It was stunningly successful. It not only halved the rate of fertility within a generation, but also increased women’s influence within their own households. For the first time, wives controlled the size of families.
This program is called Matlab (Note to academics, that's Maht-lab, not Matt-lab) and it was remarkably successful. In fact, the distributive community health model is still being replicated, including in Tanzania where I am doing my research.
Hat tip: BM