Family Planning Week to be Observed Oct. 24 – 31
October 22, 2004The Full Story
Family Planning Week will be observed from October 24 to 31 under the theme: ‘Planning Your Family – More Than Making Babies’.
Communications Officer at the National Family Planning Board (NFPB), Dianne Thomas told JIS News that the theme was in keeping with the goal of attaining 2.5 as the total fertility rate, which was the average number of children per woman, by the year 2005. This fertility goal, she pointed out, was outlined in the National Population Policy and could be achieved in part through planning family sizes.
“Leading from this, we [NFPB] are aiming to get to replacement level fertility, which is two children per woman in another 10 years,” Miss Thomas said.
Activities for the Week will kick off with a church service at the Lyndhurst Methodist Church on Lyndhurst Road, on October 24 beginning at 8:00 a.m.On October 25, there will be the return of Teen Scene, which is a magazine programme for teens, aired on TVJ from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Other activities will include the launch of the NFPB’s corporate video on TVJ and the airing of the Men’s Radio Drama Series on POWER 106 FM on October 26.
The NFPB will also host a male conference entitled, ‘Who is the leader – Your buddy or your brain?’ on October 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Panellists will include Dr. Peter Weller, Counsellor at the University Health Centre; Dr. George Leverage, Psychiatrist; and the Reverend Al Miller from Whole Life Ministries. More than 150 persons are expected to attend.
There will also be Marge Roper ‘Open House’ at the offices of NFPB located on Sylvan Avenue on October 29 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
In addition, there will be a condom distribution exercise, which will take place at selected sites across the island between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
For this particular activity, parish health departments will assist the NFPB, as well as other health related organizations, such the Trelawny AIDS Committee and Jamaica Family Planning Association (FAMPLAN).