The findings of a new Family Planning report will help guide the Kiribati Ministry of Health’s strategy for family planning, its Director of Public Health has said.

The report, Family Planning in South Tarawa, Kiribati: Usage and Barriers, identifies current patterns of contraceptive use in the capital, and the main barriers preventing access and use of contraception.

The Director of Public Health from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Eretii Timeon, endorsed the report, saying it aligns with the Ministry of Health’s policy to address issues of population growth and overcrowding.

“This report will guide the Ministry and KFHA in their operating strategies in tackling family planning and population issues,” Ms Timeon said at the launch.

The research found barriers to family planning use fell into four categories; disinterest in family planning, knowledge gaps, personal, family and social objections, and service delivery.

The report makes fourteen service delivery recommendations to reduce these barriers.

Family Planning will be working in partnership with the Kiribati Family Health Association (KFHA) and the Ministry of Health to implement these recommendations.

The report was launched at a ceremony in South Tarawa, attended by many guests, including KFHA board and staff, the New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner Tauaasa Taafaki, Catholic Bishop Paul Mea, MP and first President of Kiribati Sir Ieremia Tabai, and representatives from the Ministry of Health and UNFPA.

This research was carried out under the Kiribati Healthy Families Project in partnership with KFHA. The project is funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme and will continue until 2020.

You can download the report here.