Correspondence: Contraceptive Services for Asian Women in UK

Abstract

Professor McAvoy has written a useful review. 'However, a few areas merit comment. First is the definition of Asians as' individuals who are of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin or descent, including those from Bangladesh and East Africa'. This would be a surprise to the people of countries as geographically apart and culturally distinct as Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya in Africa; West Indian islands, Belize, Guyana and the Falklands Islands in Southern America; and Papua New Guinea and numerous other islands in the Pacific to learn that they, according to this definition, are Asians. These are only some of the countries that make up the New Commonwealth, as opposed to the Old Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Pakistan left the NCW in 1971 and has since rejoined, in 1989.