FAMILY PLANNING MONTH
In observance of the Family Planning Month this August, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) emphasizes to the public the health and well-being of future mother through proper awareness and use of the different family planning methods.
“We want to emphasize that the public should not be afraid of the family planning program. The family planning is a health intervention,” said Kathy Christine Maglinte, nurse of DOH-7.
With a theme “Pamilyang Planado, Panalo #Family Planning Try Mo,” Maglinte assured the public that these modern methods of family planning are safe and proven effective.
She said the program has been in existence for 48 years. It aims to avoid cases of maternal deaths and infant deaths; decrease teenage pregnancies; avoid induced abortion cases; and reduce poverty alleviation of unwanted big families.
Maglinte said that couples, who are interested in this program, may avail of the different family planning methods for free at their health centers and DOH hospitals.
Couples may choose to use pills, intrauterine device (IUD), implants and permanent birth control like ligation and vasectomy.
“Despite of the many benefits of family planning, many Filipinos are still hesitant to try different modern family planning methods due to misconceptions and myths like its side effects,” she added.
Earlier, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has released an advisory last November 2017, to address misconceptions. The advisory contains the list of 51 contraceptive products which are found non-abortifacient or does not cause abortion.
Though, she admitted that the advisory has not been properly disseminated to the public, that’s why DOH is now intensifying their campaign and health education of family planning’s effectiveness and safety.
“But based on our study, the country has around 38 percent contraceptive prevalence rate during the first quarter of 2018. Which means, more Filipinos are now accepting the use of contraceptives,” she said, adding that the department is targeting around 65 percent of married couples to get educated with family planning.
Based on their records, in 2017, the department has reported 48 cases of mortality of pregnant mother. Maglinte said that most of them suffered from hypertension,eclampsia, and hemorrhage during and after their labor.
In 2016, DOH-7 has already recorded a total of 66 cases of maternal death.
“If these illness were already identified during prenatal, our BHWs (barangay health workers) and RHUs (rural health units), would have given them advise on how to properly manage those illness which are the common causes of mortality,” she said.
Due to this, Maglinte said they are now intensifying their drive on encouraging pregnant women to undergo prenatal and postnatal through their quality prenatal visit program.
She said that in Central Visayas, around 70.20 percent of pregnant women have undergone prenatal check-up.
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