Family planning strategy for Rohingyas launched
The Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched on Thursday a family planning strategy for the Rohingyas currently living in Cox's Bazar camps.
The strategy – officially titled the Family Planning Strategy for the Rohingya Refugee Humanitarian Crisis in Cox's Bazar 2022-2025 – outlines an approach to increase the demand for modern contraceptive methods, said a press release.
It will be applied through community-based family planning interventions and facility-based family planning services among women and girls of Rohingya and surrounding host communities.
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As per the release, the strategy was developed and approved in October 2022 under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Health Sector Cox's Bazar, and the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) working group supported by the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
Over the course of the last five years, demand for family planning services has increased dramatically, with health facilities seeing an increase of 175% in family planning visits between 2018 and 2022, it added.
"This multi-year strategy covering 2022–2025 will guide humanitarian partners to make family planning accessible, voluntary, and choice-based for everyone," said Ashrafi Ahmad, additional secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division of the health ministry, at the launching event.
UNFPA representative in Bangladesh, Kristine Blokhus, said, "Increasing demand among Rohingya women shows that these strategies of providing voluntary, rights-based and respectful services work to improve their lives."
The UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, spoke about the broader importance of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for women.
Among the participants of the launch were Nurun Nahar Begum, line director (CCSDP), DGFP, Abdus Salam, joint secretary, MoHFW, Bashirul Alam, additional secretary, DG, Islamic Foundation.
