TaditioraI Birth Attendants

in Family Planning
Proceedings of an international seminar held in
Bangkok and Kuaa Lumpur, 19-26 July 1974

ARCHIV Srisomang Keovichit, and

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Role of
Traditional Birth Attendants
in Family Planning
Proceedings of an international seminar held in
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, 19-26 July 1974

Editors: J. Y. PENG, SRISOMANG KEOVICHIT, AND

REGINALD MACINTYRE

011524

Cosponsored by the
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE
FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH, MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
NATIONAL FAMiLY PLANNING BOARD, MALAYSIA
Implementation of Family Planning
Program in Bali
I. B. ASTAWA, MD
Chairman, National Family Planning Coordinating
Board
Den pasar, Bali
FAMILY planning activities began in Indonesia
in 1957, by the establishment of the Indone-
sian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA)
in Jakarta, as a branch of the IPPF.
In Bali, family planning activities were
pioneered in 1961 by a group of volunteers
from the IPPA branch. At that time family
planning was still not officially accepted by
the Indonesian government. Progress of this
program was therefore slow until 1969, when
the National Family Planning Institute was
established. The government announced its
official support of family planning in August
1967, and established the National Family
Planning Institute. It was run by a private
organization and supported by the govern-
ment through use of facilities (e.g. Depart-
ment of Information and the Department of
Health). The government further realized
that population policy is very important to
support its 5-year development plan started
in 1969. To make it more successful, the
family planning program was financed and
operated by the government.
The government again reorganized the
Family Planning Institute by establishing
the National Family Planning Coordinating
Board in 1970.
Information Techniques
Drama Gong, Arja, shadow puppet show
are among the traditional media we use to
introduce family planning messages. These
shows are held frequently in the villages,
since they are related to the traditional cere-
monies in Bali (e.g. temple ceremonies, three
months after birth ceremonies, wedding cere-
monies). There are 191 male fieldworkers
and 34 females who visit the people in their
home and talk to both husbands and wives.
There is one fieldworker for every 10,000
people, one group leader in each subdistrict,
and one supervisor in each regency.
Family Planning Clinics
The family planning clinics didn't start
their activities until 1967. We had 150 clinics
(all are complete clinics meaning they have
facilities for TUD insertions), 45 doctors, 150
midwives, 150 midwives assistants, 150 clerks,
and 225 fieldworkers. In 1971 we introduced
a policy allowing midwives to insert IUD5. We
41
introduced this policy because of a lack of
doctors. We also have eight mobile clinics,
one in each regency. They go every week
to the very remote villages.
Targets and Achievements
The objective of the family planning pro-
gram in Bali is part of the national target
to recruit 6 million new acceptors in 5 years
(to end of 1976). To the present time (mid
1974) we have a total of 127,857 new
acceptors in Bali, which is 32.5% of the
population of fertile women.
42
TBAs in Bali
Most of the traditional birth attendants in
Bali are men. There are 184 male and 101
female registered TUAS. Most of them are
farmers. Because the women are used to
male TBAS, male doctors are readily accepted,
and the women allow them to insert juns.
The TUAS are cooperative and support
family planning. No training program has
been developed yet for the TBA5, with the
cooperation of the group leaders, to motivate
them toward family planning practices.