Why family planning matters

By Ulimasao Fata 27 April 2018, 12:00AM

Family planning is essential to promote the well-being of women, their families and their village communities.

This was the message delivered by National S.R.H. Principal Officer, Perive Lelevaga, during the Family Planning Guidelines Review Training Consultation for health professionals at the Ministry of Health conference room yesterday.

The training consultation aims to review and update family planning guidelines to include newly adopted modern contraceptive methods with a focus on family planning needs for young people between the ages of 15 and 35.

 “This training also looks at consulting health workers and peer educators on the first draft review of the family planning guideline, as well as train midwives on the utilisation of the family planning guideline.

 “However, low contraceptive use and increase in number of teenage pregnancies are areas of concerns that the health sector needs to be strengthened on.”

According to data collected by the Health Service Performance Quality Assurance- Nursing & Midwifery Division, contraceptive prevalence rate decreased from 29 in 2009 to 27 in 2014.

The total fertility rate increased from 4.6 in 2009 to 5.1 in 2014, while adolescents’ birth rate per 1000 women increased from 44 in 2009 to 56 in 2014.

By Ulimasao Fata 27 April 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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