In a titled Magazine program “SURASKHA” Community Radio Stations (CRSs) in Bangladesh has broadcast a participatory and interactive program on Quality Family Planning Information for achieving Sustainable Development Goal of 03 “ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages”
The purposes for facilitating of interventions have to inform, aware, educate and enhance access of community people especially women, newlyweds and adolescents on family planning and reproductive health (RH) issues focusing on long-acting methods including Menstruation Regulation (MR), Post Abortion Care (PAC) services that are being available at rural communities with a view to reducing mother & child mortality rate and improving health & hygiene conditions of rural communities.
In last 06 months, 09 CRSs has facilitates 62 nos. of CYM with rural communities especially with women, newlyweds, and adolescents where approximately 1364 nos. participants were present. In those sessions mainly focused on family planning methods especially long-acting methods, menstruation regulation (MR), post-abortion care (PAC) and reproductive health (RH). The duration of the session was for 1.5 hours including the interactive discussion that followed questions & answers sessions.
Sessions were facilitated by Union Family Welfare Assistant (FWA) and Family Welfare Volunteers (FWV) and in some place Upazila Family Planning Officer and Doctors of Union Health Complex also act as facilitators who was supported by respective Station Manager (SM), Program Producer (PP), and Broadcasters respectively.
Most of the facilitators opined that CYM is one of the best approaches to interact, motivate and sensitize community people directly on FP & RH issues. Comments of the facilitators – Ms. Monira Khatun, FWA of Islampur Union, Chapai Sadar, Chapainawabgonj expressed her opinion that it is useful for educating women especially newlyweds and adolescent. Ms. Selina Begum, FWA of Ranigonj Union, Chilmari, Kurigram expressed that these sorts of discussion-sharing and interaction with different aged women breaking the silence of women and shyness that will create an enabling environment to know and understand more about family planning methods, especially long-acting methods, unwanted pregnancy and MR & PAC services.
Ms. Runi Begum, FP Inspector and Ms. Shamima Akhter, Family Welfare Visitor (FWV) of Ramchandrapur Union told that this is wonderful initiatives that taken by radio stations with a view to interact with community women’s and adolescents directly on family planning and reproductive health issues that will be removing misconception & myth about family planning and improving health condition of women and stopping child marriage too.
Simultaneously, in last six months period of time Community Radio Stations (CRSs) has broadcasted 18 Talk shows and 18 Magazine programs. In both events, most of the invited guests were from govt. family planning department like DD Family Planning & Upazila Health & Family Planning Officer, Unions Family Welfare Assistant (FWA)/Family Welfare Volunteers (FWVs), local Journalist and FP client’s. The program duration for Talk show was for 25 minutes and Magazine program was for 20 minutes respectively. Those programs were very much interactive with respect to sharing of ideas & views, questions/comments through text message (480), phone calls (320), Facebook (460). Besides, CRSs awarded to 18 quiz competitors out of 235 participants. Both the sessions were moderated by trained & skilled radio presenters and broadcasters.
Most of the resource persons opined that both programs helped the rural communities to know and understand more about FP services especially long-acting methods, MR and PAC services and resolving of some misconception as well. Besides, it also minimizes laps & gaps between service providers and service receivers through direct connecting and asking questions said resource persons. Here it is noted that cent percent of the resource persons suggested to undertaking comprehensive programs for adolescents on reproductive health as ¼ of our total populations are young youth & adolescents.
Dr. MHM. Mahafuzul Alam, Mother & Child Health Care Center, Naogaon Sadar, Naogaon opined that these dialogues create scope for asking questions to resource persons directly and assessing shortcoming and drawback of services provided by govt. officials.
Mr. Dewan Morshed Kamal, DD of Family Planning, Gaibandha opined that holistic approach i.e. involving of different stakeholders including adolescents could work well to enhance access of community people and removing misconception and myth on family planning issues.
Dr. Mahafuzur Rahman Sarkar, UHFP Officer where Dr. Mostaree Begum, RMO of Chilmari Upazila, Kurigram opined that community radio program is the wonderful program to popularize long-acting family planning methods and enhancing community access to MR and PAC.
Accordingly Mr. Manik Ali, Family Planning Supervisor of Ranihati Union Health Center, Sadar Upazila, Chapainawabgonj pointed out that besides women’s lead programs it could be better to mobilize and motivate male counterpart as well, as they are the prime decision maker at family level to allow women for adopting FP methods as of their choice.
Mrs. Mahamuda Sultana and Mrs. Nasrin Begum, Sungsunir More, Dhangora, Gaibandha Sadar opined that we are now enjoying better life after taking long-lasting methods, but it was the very difficult task to convince our spouse for adopting the methods.
Besides local Journalist having the consultation with community radio stations has been prepared and published 28 nos. of features considering the local situation of family planning, the importance of long-acting methods and adolescent’s reproductive health both in local, regional and national newspapers under fellowship program. This initiative adds significant values in family planning sectors with respect to awareness building of mass people and sensitization.
The participating Community Radio Stations are Radio Padma 99.2 in Rajshahi, Radio Lokobetar 99.2 in Borguna, Radio Pollikantho 99.2 in Moulvibazar, Radio Mahananda 98.8 in Chawpainawbganj, Radio Chilmari 99.2 in Kurigram, Radio Naf 99.2 in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, Radio Borendro 99.2 in Naogaon, Radio Meghna 99.2 in Bhola and Radio Sarabela 98.8 in Gaibandha.
The activities were held under the project “Family Planning in Bangladesh- Improving Quality & Access” under the coordination of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) in collaboration with the Directorate of Family Planning and Health, the Ministry of Health and Family Planning of The People’s Republic of Bangladesh with the financial support of UKAid and Technical assistance of Ipas Bangladesh.
