Actually, what we want to achieve in the near future is how to reduce the birth rate among women aged 15–19 years.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) is seeking to lower the maternal mortality rate this year to mark the 77th year of the nation’s independence.

"Actually, what we want to achieve in the near future is how to reduce the birth rate among women aged 15–19 years," BKKBN head Hasto Wardoyo said in Jakarta on Thursday.



The total fertility rate (TFR), or the average number of children that will be born to a woman during her lifetime, is closely correlated to maternal mortality. Potential mortality will increasingly become higher if women get married and become pregnant before they turn 21.


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The 2015 intercensal population survey showed that the maternal mortality rate in Indonesia was more than 305 out of every 100 thousand live births. Meanwhile, the 2021 family data indicated that the TFR had reached 2.24.



"As such, the number of births can be controlled because every family has an average of two or three children now," Wardoyo said.


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In addition to focusing on lowering the TFR, which is one of the factors for maternal mortality, BKKBN has also stressed that the Independence Day theme of "Recover Faster, Revive Stronger" must cover preventing undesired pregnancies because they can lead to a high unsafe abortion rate, he said.



The number of children can be controlled by helping mothers space births and pregnancies using contraceptives. The effort must be revived to optimize the health of mothers and babies and ensure quality population development, according to hiim.



"We know that the birth rate from unwanted pregnancies is still 17 percent, which we must reduce. As we all know that in 2013, it stood at 46 out of every 1,000 births, and now, it has declined to 20.5 out of every 1,000 births," he said.


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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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