REPRODUCTION Health and family planning programs will play a critical role in eradicating extreme poverty by 2040, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
In a statement released Friday, NEDA said its chief, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, outlined the government’s reproductive health and family planning programs at the recent International Interministerial Conference on Population and development, which was co-organized by the partners. in Population and Development (PPD) and the United Nations Population Fund.
Chua, who spoke to foreign ministers and senior government officials from the 27 PPD member states, said the government understands the importance of reproductive health and family planning programs to achieving its long-term goal. to eradicate extreme poverty.
“As such,” he added, “we have put in place various policies and programs which affirm our commitment to achieving the objectives of the program of action and the sustainable development goals of the International Population Conference. and development “.
The Philippines Population Management Program (PPMP) 2017-2022 is one of the programs serving as a model for the implementation of population-related programs, projects and activities, Chua said. Its aim is to help couples and parents have the number and spacing of children they want, as well as to limit the number of teenage pregnancies in the country.
He said Executive Decree 12 of 2017 supports the achievement of zero unmet need for modern family planning as well as the implementation of the national population and family planning program.
Likewise, the National Safe Motherhood Program strives to provide low-cost pregnancy treatment to Filipino women to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
Educational institutions have integrated comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent reproductive health into their curriculum, Chua said. This gives young people crucial advice on the cognitive, physical and social elements of sexuality as well as their reproductive health concerns.
The government has also strengthened its social protection programs for teenage mothers and their children to improve their access to nutrition and mental health services, and give them the opportunity to return to school and find gainful employment.
“All of these initiatives are geared towards our goal of ensuring the health and safety of every Filipino family. As we collectively recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, let us continue to work together to intensify our efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality, prevent unwanted pregnancies and empower more people to make informed choices about reproductive health and family planning, â€said Chua.
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