RI trains 86 countries

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)