30.07.2015 Views

Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

Family Planning in Asia and the Pacific - International Council on ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong>, counsell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> services couldbe <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduced al<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>uum of sexual health<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reproductive care should be utilized; C<strong>on</strong>traceptive security would be achieved whennati<strong>on</strong>al <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> subnati<strong>on</strong>al budgets <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cluded earmarksfor essential medic<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clud<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g c<strong>on</strong>traceptives; Of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 47 governments <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Asia</str<strong>on</strong>g>n regi<strong>on</strong>, 17 of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mdid not directly support c<strong>on</strong>traceptive access. Effortsneeded to be made to c<strong>on</strong>v<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce those governments of<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> value of mak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g such <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vestments.Fertility <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> byDr. Geoffrey Hayes, Development C<strong>on</strong>sultant, NewZeal<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>The presentati<strong>on</strong> was based <strong>on</strong> an analysis of recentlyc<strong>on</strong>ducted Demographic <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Health Surveys (DHS) topresent <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> situati<strong>on</strong> of unmet need for family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g>. The study revealed some comm<strong>on</strong>characteristics across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong> but also greatvariati<strong>on</strong>, which made it difficult to generalize.The comparative study assessed whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertilitytransiti<strong>on</strong> had stalled <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> countries <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>territories <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> if so, what were some of its causes. Theresearch suggested that fertility transiti<strong>on</strong> had stalled <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>some countries, but not all. A review of l<strong>on</strong>g-term fertilitychange showed a slow fertility decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e. It was noted thatsome countries <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itially presented rapid fertility decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e;however, that was followed by a layer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g off.An analysis of family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> showed a relati<strong>on</strong>ship between fertility transiti<strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes. Some programmesstalled, reversed or slowed down, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effect of whichwas evident <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fertility <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>traceptive prevalence ratefigures. Kiribati was highlighted as an example where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>total fertility rate (TFR) was over 6 children per woman<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1960s; <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country experienced a rapid decl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fertility, which co<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cided with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>itiati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programme, to a TFR of 4; yet TFR rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>edat that level for 20 years.An analysis of c<strong>on</strong>traceptive prevalence rate (CPR)trends <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong> showed a trend upwards <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> caseof Fiji, Papua New Gu<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ea <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Solom<strong>on</strong> Isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s, somego<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n stall<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> case <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Vanuatu, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>Federated States of Micr<strong>on</strong>esia <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kiribati, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rsdecl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> case of Cook Isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s, Samoa <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>T<strong>on</strong>ga. Generally, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g>, CPR did not get muchabove 40 per cent. The presentati<strong>on</strong> addressed some of<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reas<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> relati<strong>on</strong>ships <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> that situati<strong>on</strong>. Primarily,<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research revealed a weak relati<strong>on</strong>ship between CPR<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> educati<strong>on</strong>. Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> CPR <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong> seemed t<strong>on</strong>ot be closely associated with rural <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> urban residence;<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fact, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re were some examples of higher CPRlevels <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> rural areas. The research could not present acorrelati<strong>on</strong> between household wealth <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> CPR levels.However, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re were relati<strong>on</strong>ships between CPR, age<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> parity, as well as a measure of c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong> betweenaccess to health centres or hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g been visited by a familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g nurse.The presentati<strong>on</strong> discussed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> relati<strong>on</strong>ship between keydevelopment <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicators, CPR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> TFR. The researchrevealed a str<strong>on</strong>g relati<strong>on</strong>ship between TFR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fant mortality rate (IMR). Higher gross domesticproduct did not translate <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to higher TRF or CPR,which suggested a weak relati<strong>on</strong>ship between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> two.The research revealed a moderately str<strong>on</strong>g relati<strong>on</strong>shipbetween life expectancy <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> TFR. F<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ally, researchrevealed a weak relati<strong>on</strong>ship between TFR <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> poverty.Patterns <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> were not <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rregi<strong>on</strong>s.In terms of unmet need for family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g>regi<strong>on</strong> displayed c<strong>on</strong>siderable variati<strong>on</strong>. Samoa presenteda high percentage of unmet need (just over 40%), whileSolom<strong>on</strong> Isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s presented a low percentage of unmetneed (under 10%). Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, c<strong>on</strong>traceptive use variedwidely country by country.The research suggested that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Pacific</str<strong>on</strong>g> isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> countriesdid not follow <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> expectati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> st<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>arddemographic transiti<strong>on</strong> model. Patterns of reportedc<strong>on</strong>traceptive use <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> unmet need varied so much thatit was necessary to take a country-by-country approach.However, it could be c<strong>on</strong>cluded that uneducatedwomen were less likely than <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir educated peers touse c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> more likely to have an unmetneed. O<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Papua New Gu<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ea <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Solom<strong>on</strong>Isl<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ma<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> reas<strong>on</strong> for unmet need was not accessbut “unwill<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gness”, which was aris<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g from fear of sideeffects, health c<strong>on</strong>cerns or some form of socioculturaloppositi<strong>on</strong>. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, adolescents faced <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> largestbarriers to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use of c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong> for socioculturalreas<strong>on</strong>s. In many countries, service providers <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> publichealth facilities were slowly ab<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir moralisticattitude towards adolescent sexuality. The researchshowed that NGOs did much better <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> address<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>needs of adolescents.The presentati<strong>on</strong> outl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed a number of measures forgovernments to take <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> order to improve access to<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> use of family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g services, based <strong>on</strong> f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gsfrom <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research. One key recommendati<strong>on</strong> was toimprove <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> quality, scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> accessibility of familyplann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g programmes through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of providers<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> counsell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g skills; to streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n primary healthcare, especially <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> rural areas, for a widened choice ofc<strong>on</strong>traceptives; to place more emphasis <strong>on</strong> communityoutreach; as well as to ensure that family plann<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gservices rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed free of cost. Also, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research revealed14

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!