The Population Council was established in 1952 to find solutions to the world's population problems. Although based in New York, the Council is an international non-profit organization with regional offices in Bangkok, Cairo, Dakar, Mexico City, and Nairobi. In conducting research in health, social, and biomedical sciences, the Council has, among other accomplishments, broken ground in contraceptive devices, explored male fertility, and analyzed the social position of women and its concurrent effect on the population.

The Council seeks to use science and technology to provide relief to the population problems of developing countries. Governed by a board of 20 trustees from 16 countries who meet twice a year, the Council has programs in 50 countries throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. It receives funding from world governments, United Nations agencies, foundations, and individuals for its research and programs. The major programs and institutions of the Population Council are...