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Pandemic throws light on staggered implementation of family planning programs
The shift in healthcare focus during the pandemic has shed light on the staggered implementation of family planning programs.
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Pills of power: Family planning empowers women and girls to take ownership of their health and future. (Courtesy of Shutterstock/9dream studio)
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em>In a bid to engage mass media as part of its continuous effort to educate the public on the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights of the adolescents and young adults, nongovernmental organization Rutgers WPF Indonesia has been holding a media fellowship since July 2021. Ten national and local media journalists are taking part in the program, including the author. The following articles are the third of five editions prepared under the initiative.
The healthcare emphasis during the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted to focus on the apportionment of resources, the prevention of viral spread and emergent care, which have deprioritized other essential services such as access to contraception.
The National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) recorded a disruption of contraception use by 47 percent nationwide in March 2020, leading to a 20 percent increase in unwanted pregnancies in 2021.
Chairman Hasto Wardoyo said the agency had to take extra measures to reactivate its family planning campaign in 76,000 villages in mid-2021 to get 1 million new acceptors in conjunction with National Family Day on June 29.
“With our innovations, we could get 1.3 million contraception users,” he said.
The campaign, which targets only married women, offers unprecedented services such as contraception after giving birth, safe for breastfeeding mothers.
“Every year, there are around 5 million mothers who are determined not to have another pregnancy within two years but fail to use contraception,” added Hasto. “We will improve our services to reach zero unmet need for family planning programs and to support the government’s goal of a golden generation in 2045.”
