Men encouraged to use condoms

BOGOR: National Family Planning Program coordinating board head Yaumil Chairiah Agoes Achir has asked religious leaders to encourage men to take an active part in the birth control program.

Men should play an active role in the program by using condoms or having a vasectomy, she said at the presentation of an award to the Bogor mayor for his success in implementing the birth control program in the municipality.

Mayor Iswara Natanegara said that last year, there were 19,500 new participants in the program, while the total number of people taking part was 170,000.

The municipality has a population of about 800,000.

He said the number of poor people had decreased from 31,600 to 28,700, adding that the family planning program was important for helping to reduce poverty. --JP