UN to send free contraceptives

JAKARTA: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is to send a US$3 million emergency consignment of contraceptives to Indonesia.

"The assistance is one of UNFPA's emergency projects in response to the economic crisis," the UN Information Centre said in a press statement yesterday.

Other projects include an international appeal to generate up to $34 million to procure contraceptives in the 1998/1999 fiscal year and the provision of up to $6 million to ensure access to safe blood supplies through establishment of safe blood services in 80 district hospitals.

The current economic crisis has undermined the government's ability to provide contraceptives to poor people.

At the same time, their ability to purchase contraceptives has been severely impaired by price increases which have resulted from the severe monetary crisis gripping the country.