Conference guests visit family planning centers<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Participants in an international
\nconference here on Tuesday visited family planning centers at
\nvillage level, which have been dubbed the backbone of Indonesia's
\nsuccessful family planning program.<\/p>\n
Split into three groups, they visited integrated health
\nservice posts, known in Indonesian as Posyandu, in three villages
\nin Gianyar regency, some 27 kilometers east of Denpasar.<\/p>\n
The National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) spokesman Sunarto
\nsaid during the trip the conference's participants observed the
\nmethods employed by family planning field workers and local
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
\"The three villages -- Batuan, Kemenuh and Singakerta -- were
\nchosen because the administration and implementation of their
\nfamily planning program is the best,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The one-week South-South Cooperation in Human Resources
\nDevelopment in Family Planning\/Reproductive Health conference,
\nwhich opened on Monday, is being attended by 25 family planning
\nexperts and 45 representatives from donor agencies.<\/p>\n
Sunarto said the field trip was aimed at showing the
\nparticipants the implementation of the country's family planning
\nprogram at a grassroots level.<\/p>\n
\"The guests witnessed clients of the family planning program
\neasily obtain contraceptive devices at health service posts. They
\nalso saw people who use Intra Uterine Device (IUD) and injection
\ncontraception methods being recorded by health service post
\nworkers and the results taken to the nearest community health
\ncenter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sunarto attributed the success of the family planning program
\nin Bali to the active role of villagers.<\/p>\n
The conference was held by BKKBN and sponsored by the United
\nNations Family Planning Association (UNFPA) to evaluate the
\noutcome of the international training program, which was launched
\nby Indonesia 12 years ago.<\/p>\n
According to BKKBN, there are around 65,000 health service
\nposts in Indonesia, with 25,000 workers and 2 million local
\nvolunteers, under the supervision of 48,000 BKKBN officials in
\nprovincial and regency offices.<\/p>\n
Besides administering the family planning program, health
\nservice posts also provide postnatal services, including health
\nchecks, weight control, nutritional advice, immunization and
\nvaccination.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which is considered one of the four centers of
\nfamily planning excellence in the world, along with Thailand,
\nTunisia and Mexico, has claimed that its success rests upon the
\nvoluntary reproductive choices offered to clients.<\/p>\n
UNFPA, which has channeled more than US$100 million into the
\nprogram since the 1970s, has reaffirmed its commitment to
\nassisting the implementation of the family planning program in
\nIndonesia. (zen\/02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/conference-guests-visit-family-planning-centers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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