On Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health and Population launch its national campaign to Family Planning  (PF), at sports park of Cayes Jacmel.  The objective of this campaign is to reposition the PF program as a national priority through an integrated approach, of right and a multisectoral perspective, to reduce unmet need in PF. The implementation of the campaign will be provided by the sub-national coordination committee of family planning program. It will include a preparatory phase, a launch phase and an implementation phase and will cover the entire national territory, will last six months and cost about 3 million U.S. dollars.



The realization of this national family planning campaign is part of the implementation of the national strategic plan for reproductive health and family planning 2013-2016, prepared in December 2012 following the guidelines of the National Health Policy (2012). It is also part of the implementation of the Presidential Decree of May 13, 2013 making mandatory family planning services in all health institutions operating in the country.



Albeit slow, progress has been made in the use of modern contraceptive methods among women in union aged 15-49 years, the rate passed from 24.8% in 2006 to 31% in 2012 (source EMMUS V). It should be noted that the average number of children per woman (TFR) declined from 6.2 in 1983 to 3.5 in 2012 nationally. However, the average number of children desired is 2.0 (57%) reflecting a high level of unmet need for family planning, especially among young people.




This observation that the rights and the real needs of the population are not satisfied for family planning. In addition, the historical analysis of the evolution of total fertility rate also seems to highlight a change in the Haitian mentality compared to the old adage "Timoun se richès malere".  The Haitian population has increased from 5 million in 1975 to over 10 million in 2013. The current population growth rate is 1.6 per year.



The benefits of family planning are well known: they range from the improvement of maternal and child health to the increase of the education and empowerment of women, fewer pregnancies and maternity later and healthier among young, to more families secure financially, to a greater ability to engage in income generating activities and stronger economies.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9787-haiti-social-management-of-the-teenagers-demography.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9654-haiti-health-prevention-of-unwanted-pregnancies.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7059-haiti-social-16-million-haitians-in-2050.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6580-haiti-social-blue-phone-for-a-better-family-planning.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6147-haiti-social-family-planning-an-individual-right-to-promote.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3795-haiti-socialtowards-a-family-planning-policy.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-485-haiti-social-une-demographie-inquietante.html (in french)

HL/ HaïtiLibre