RI trains 86 countries

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Indonesia's family planning program is being used as a model by 86 countries, according to a senior official of the National Family Planning Board.

The deputy of the board's Planning and Analysis division, Sardin Pabbadja, said yesterday that 96 percent of African countries have followed the Communication, Information and Education (KIE) program and it had been very successful in Mexico, Tunisia and Thailand.

Sardin told Antara that Indonesia's success in family planning has gained international recognition. Thailand and Indonesia are the program's regional representatives for Asia, while Tunisia represents Africa and Mexico represents Latin America.

He said the program's success was due to good public development, government participation and support from the top to the lower ranks.

"This differs in other countries where the program usually reaches the regency level, making proper information difficult to reach even by the lowest end user," he said.

Sardin said the family planning programs will change as mothers, especially those in rural areas, become more aware of particular contraception methods and demand better medical service.

"Twenty years ago, mothers in the villages merely accepted this without further questioning but the situation today is much different," he said. (01)