USAID/BKKBN Family Planning Conference in East Java 
Celebrates Quality Achievements

April 21, 2006

On April 25, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Indonesia hosted 500 participants representing local governments and NGOs from 21 provinces and more than 110 districts for the Third Quality Conference on family planning and reproductive health in Indonesia.

The conference was held in Surabaya, East Java, under the auspices of the Indonesian National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) and the USAID-funded Sustaining Technical Achievements in Reproductive Health (STARH) program. For more than 35 years, USAID has worked in close partnership with the BKKBN to develop one of the world’s most successful family planning programs. Indonesia’s National Family Planning Program has helped to significantly improve the health of mothers and children by allowing families to plan and space their births. In 1980, only 26 percent of married women used contraceptives; today, more than 60 percent of couples use contraceptives.

In the fourth largest country in the world, family planning is an essential component of national development and poverty reduction. USAID’s Deputy Mission Director, Robert Cunnane, “applauded the achievements of the USAID-BKKBN historic partnership,” and thanked and recognized Dr. Sumaryati Arjoso, the Chairperson for BKKBN for her tremendous leadership and commitment to improving quality, and expanding access of family planning services throughout Indonesia.

Though the national program is internationally recognized as a success, at the district level the job is not yet finished. This conference will transfer proven family planning management, clinical and community tools and approaches for use at the local level. Dr. Sumarjati Arjoso, chairperson of BKKBN, said “This conference is a timely event. We hope that through our quality conferences, participants from all provinces will be able to work more effectively in local areas throughout Indonesia.” Improving quality and expanding access of family planning services now and in the future will continue to be a critical issue to ensure a healthy and prosperous Indonesia.

“For more information on USAID activities in Indonesia, please contact Caroline Gredler at (021) 3435-9376 and visit www.usaid.gov/id

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