Condoms and birth spacing promoted

By YVONNE HAIP
THE recently launched Healthy Baby Campaign aims to tackle the increasing maternal and child mortality rates in the country, among other issues.
The campaign, spearheaded by the Health Department and Population Services International, will promote the use of condoms as an effective means of birth spacing.
The Health Department and PSI will stress the need for parents to have children every three years.
Statistics show spacing the birth of children to every three years cuts the risk of illness and death among infants, young children, and mothers.
The “Malolo Liklik” campaign crew has already begun tours in Port Moresby, Lae and Goroka, and will be in Mt Hagen tomorrow.
It will hold rallies in Kindeng, Anglimp district, and Mt Hagen city.
Many people believe the use of condoms encourages promiscuity and were used for HIV prevention. 
But research has shown promoting the use of condoms did not cause any increase in promiscuity among adults or young people.
The Health Baby Campaign aims to change this perception by emphasising the benefit of condoms for birth spacing.
The campaign aims to promote birth spacing through the use of condoms, the most widely available contraceptive as a proven way to keep babies and mothers happy and healthy. 
The PSI and the health department plan to redefine condoms in the eyes of everyday Papua New Guineans as a tool to protect their families’ and ensure happy, healthy families.
The campaign is intended to build awareness in people that spacing children at least three years apart will give time for a mother to regain health and for her young child to grow. 
This campaign is being carried out through the media and in outdoor public centres.
Support would also be provided by different churches.
Others centres including Oil Search, in the Southern Highlands, Kula Palm Oil (formerly Higaturu Oil Palm) in Northern and Porgera Joint Venture, in Enga, will be visited in the coming months.
The campaign began on Feb 28 and ends in October.