Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has informed that it served 96,803 family planning (KB) acceptors during a simultaneous four-day program held to mark International Women's Day on March 8, 2023.

"Based on the recapitulation from the BKKBN's deputy for family planning and reproductive health (KBKR), from March 8–11, the agency served 96,803 KB acceptors with the long-term contraceptive method (MKJP)," BKKBN Head Hasto Wardoyo informed in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said that the simultaneous provision of family planning services was part of an effort to accelerate stunting prevalence over the medium term.

During the four-day event, BKKBN provided four types of KB methods: female operative method (MOW), male operative method (MOP), intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implants, he disclosed.

The highest number of family planning acceptors were from West Java Province at 13,819. They were followed by Banten Province with 13,410 acceptors, East Java province with 8,619 acceptors, Central Java with 5,761 acceptors, and South Sumatra with 5,254 acceptors, Wardoyo informed.

Meanwhile, the most used KB method involved implants, which 76,368 acceptors opted for, followed by IUDs (16,937) and MOW (2,778), he said.

Male participation was also recorded on this year’s International Women's Day, Wardoyo noted. At least 229 male acceptors participated in the event: 46 from West Java, 38 from South Sulawesi, and 27 from South Sumatra.

Deputy for Family Planning and Reproductive Health at the BKKBN Eni Gustina said that the provision of simultaneous family planning services aimed to repeat family planning, change family planning methods, postpartum family planning, and new family planning.

"This service also aims to pursue indicators of achievement of the Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (m-CPR) services," she added.

Family planning services are closely related to childhood stunting prevention because too close and frequent pregnancies can lead to stunting in children, Gustina informed.

To minimize the risk of stunting, she assured that the BKKBN will continue to provide family planning services to help families space births.

"Those who manage the distance between being pregnant or giving birth for more than three years have been proven to avoid stunting in their children. While the case of stunting almost doubled in pregnancy gap of less than two years," she noted.

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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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