The poorest women, couples and young people who are in dire need of family planning services in the City of Manila will be able to avail of free family planning information, counseling and services during a Family Planning Fair to be held on July 11, World Population Day.
The Fair will be the second of its kind in Manila since the city banned family planning services in 2000. Residents from Baseco, the biggest barangay in Manila with a population of over 50,000, and the adjacent Parola and San Nicolas villages -- all belonging to the poorest communities in Manila -- are expected to avail of services at the event.
At least 45 doctors, midwives and nurses will provide services for modern and natural family planning services. Bilateral tubal ligation and vasectomy will be made available through referral in two government hospitals – the Philippine General Hospital and Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital.
The Fair bears more significance as it concurs with the Family Planning Summit in London where global leaders will commit to support family planning as an urgent development agenda. World Population Day carries the theme “Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services,” underscoring the need to intensify the provision of Reproductive Health information, services and supplies.
In the Philippines, the event highlights the increased "unmet need" for family planning, or the percentage of women who do not want to become pregnant but are not using contraception – from 15.7% in 2006 to 19.3 in 2011. The unmet need is highest among poor women (25.8%), adolescent girls (37%), women with no education (29.2%) and women in ARMM (35.8%).
The Family Planning Fair is organized by Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, in partnership with the European Union and the United Nations Population Fund.
Auxiliary services such as general medical care, prenatal care, Pap smear, counseling and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, counseling on violence against women, as well as interactive educational activities and for young people will also be provided.
