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

2 The (period) TFR is <strong>the</strong> sum of age-specific fertility rates at agiven time <strong>and</strong> can be <strong>in</strong>terpreted as <strong>the</strong> number of live births <strong>the</strong>average woman would bear dur<strong>in</strong>g her lifetime if she experienced<strong>the</strong> age-specific fertility rates observed at that time throughout herreproductive years.3 The policy also recognizes <strong>the</strong> importance of FP for atta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>Millennium Development Goals: “The Government … recognizes<strong>the</strong> importance of reduc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> country’s high population growthrate <strong>and</strong> of spac<strong>in</strong>g births as a means of reach<strong>in</strong>g its goals oferadicat<strong>in</strong>g poverty, reduc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> country’s high levels of maternal<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>fant <strong>and</strong> child mortality, <strong>and</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> health of mo<strong>the</strong>rs<strong>and</strong> children <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with <strong>the</strong> goals <strong>and</strong> targets set out <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> UnitedNations Millennium Declaration” (MOH, 2004a: 8).4 The 2003 survey was fielded between May <strong>and</strong> August, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>2009/10 survey between August <strong>and</strong> February; tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> midpo<strong>in</strong>tof each period, this suggests that <strong>the</strong> period between <strong>the</strong> 2surveys is actually 6 years <strong>and</strong> 4.5 months, respectively.5 Also, <strong>the</strong>re was no active promotion of FP dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> UnitedNations Transitional Adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>in</strong> East Timor.6 Similar baby-booms have often been observed after periods ofpolitical unrest <strong>and</strong> bloodshed. Some of <strong>the</strong> motivation is selfconsciouslyto “replace” some of those who have been killed. Forexample, see Desbarats (1995).7 In <strong>the</strong> 2003 survey those women (or <strong>the</strong>ir partners) who hadbeen sterilized are not listed as a separate category <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> relevanttable; thus, some women who say <strong>the</strong>y want no more children, forexample, could already be sterilized. However, <strong>the</strong> percentage ofpeople sterilized <strong>in</strong> Timor-Leste is so small that this will not affect<strong>the</strong> overall percentage distribution significantly.8 Except for one cl<strong>in</strong>ic of its own <strong>in</strong> Dili, Marie Stopes <strong>International</strong>provides services <strong>in</strong> close collaboration with <strong>the</strong> M<strong>in</strong>istry of Health,work<strong>in</strong>g through <strong>the</strong> government’s own Community HealthCentres <strong>and</strong> Health Posts.__________ (2004b). National Reproductive HealthStrategy 2004-2015. Dili: MOH.__________ <strong>and</strong> National Statistics Directorate et al.(2003). Timor-Leste Demographic <strong>and</strong> Health Survey 2003,Newcastle, Australia: University of Newcastle.Mosquera, Mario, Rafael Obregon, Lawrence Wood,Marianne Viatour <strong>and</strong> Andrew Carlson (2009a). <strong>Family</strong><strong>Plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> General Reproductive Health: Quantitative<strong>and</strong> Qualitative Analysis, Dili: UNFPA.__________ (2009b). Youth Reproductive Health Report:Quantitative <strong>and</strong> Qualitative Analysis, Dili: UNFPA.United Nations (1994). Report of <strong>the</strong> <strong>International</strong>Conference on Population <strong>and</strong> Development, Cairo, 5-13September 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No.E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.__________ (2009). World Population Prospects: The2008 Revision (United Nations publication, Sales No.E.05.XIII.7).Zwi, Anthony B., Ilse Blignault, Diana Glazebrook,Veronica Correia, Ca<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>e R. Bateman Steel, EliasFerreira <strong>and</strong> Basilio M. P<strong>in</strong>to (2009). Timor-Leste: HealthCare Seek<strong>in</strong>g Behaviour Study 2009, Sydney: University ofNew South Wales.9 An <strong>in</strong>dication of <strong>the</strong> cooperation between <strong>the</strong> Catholic Church<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> national FP programme is that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dili diocese whenyoung couples receive <strong>the</strong>ir premarital counsell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Church hasnow started request<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> M<strong>in</strong>istry to send along a midwife whocan expla<strong>in</strong> all methods of contraception to <strong>the</strong> soon-to-be marriedcouples. While <strong>the</strong> Church makes it clear it does not approve ofmodern methods it also emphasizes this is a choice that couplesmust make for <strong>the</strong>mselves, freely <strong>and</strong> responsibly. If a young couplechooses a modern method <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>in</strong>formed where <strong>the</strong>y cango <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> national programme to receive <strong>the</strong> method.ReferencesBelton, Suzanne (2010). UNFPA Strategy to EnhanceReproductive Health Commodity, Consultant’s Report,London: HLSP (Mott MacDonald Limited).Desbarats, Jacquel<strong>in</strong>e (1995). Prolific Survivors: PopulationChange <strong>in</strong> Cambodia 1975-1993, Tempe, Arizona:Arizona State University Press.MEASURE DHS (2010). Timor-Leste Demographic <strong>and</strong>Health Survey 2009-2010: Prelim<strong>in</strong>ary Report (April),. Dili:National Statistics Directorate, M<strong>in</strong>istry of F<strong>in</strong>ance.M<strong>in</strong>istry of Health (2004a). National <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong>Policy. Dili: MOH.344