PNG behind on service pick-up

National

THE rate at which people between the ages of 15 and 49  access family planning services is  low compared with other developing countries, says a Health Department adviser.
Maternal health technical adviser Emily John told people gathered at Vision City amphitheatre for the World Population Day roadshow that the younger generation needed to know the service providers of family planning and which methods were available.
“Women 15-19 years estimated birthrate is 70 out of 1000, 27 per cent of 19-year-olds have at least one child already and 6 per cent of these already have two or more children,” she said.
“Reproductive health status of adolescents is poor, meaning our younger population are not aware of the sexual reproductive health and family planning services they can access and so they end up with lot of health problems.”
John said they did not encourage adolescents to have sex early but must be informed and educated so they could make the right decision.
She said that the government made the National Sexual Reproductive Policy 2014 to guide reproductive health activities and improve the wellbeing of the people and at the same time ensure people had access to information and services on family planning.
“Family planning empowers the nation, couples must plan when to have children, how many to have and when to stop,” John said.