Wihaji emphasized that family planning is a strategic tool for poverty reduction and national development, not merely a health initiative.
“Birth control is part of economic and social development. Contraception is not just about pregnancy but about rights and the future. Those who wish to maintain birth spacing should have easy access,” he said.
He noted that investing in contraception would save the state significant costs from maternal and child mortality and stunting.
“Every penny invested in contraception yields multiple benefits,” Wihaji said, adding that fertility management should address economic, mental, psychological, and generational quality factors.
The ministry, he said, is responsible for regulating population growth and fostering quality human resources.
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Wihaji also stressed that the decline in fertility rates should be viewed as an opportunity, not a threat, to improve the quality of Indonesia’s human capital.
He cited recent social shifts showing that 71,000 Indonesian women have chosen marriage without children.
“This is a new reality. The issue is no longer whether fertility is a problem, but how to turn it into an opportunity for superior human resource development,” he said.
While fluctuations in fertility rates carry consequences, Wihaji said the priority is ensuring families have choices, children grow up healthy, and women are free to determine their own lives.
Through the Family Development, Population, and Family Planning (Bangga Kencana) program, Indonesia has reduced its Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 5.6 in 1970 to 2.11 in 2024.
The program aims to sustain a balanced population growth with a TFR of 2.1, paving the way for broader social and economic advancement.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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