Family planning sets new target

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: The National Family Planning Board plans to reach a target of 106,900 new families for the fiscal year 1997 to 1998, a local official said yesterday.

Spokesman for the board's provincial office Zuhar was quoted by Antara as saying the target was based on last year's success and increased awareness among fertile couples about family planning.

He said the board's office plans to promote the use of long- term contraception methods to 54,663 couples and the use of short-term contraception methods to 362,737 couples from a total of 417,400 couples.

Zuhar said he would like more couples in the province to use long-term contraception methods including the IUD, implants and permanent methods such as vasectomy as they are considered safe.

A total 106,340 couples joined the program in fiscal year 1996/1997 at a rate of 100.72 percent, he said.

Zuhar said 94,000 of them used birth control pills, condoms and injections while the remainder used long-term contraception methods.

Active participants of family planning numbered 403,489 couples, or 76.67 percent of the projected total of 526,288 couples, he said.

Zuhar said there are 19,967 IUD users, 8,167 permanent contraception users, 20,408 implant users, 65,743 users of injections, 296,455 birth control pill users and 3,572 condom users. (01)