Year-long family planning campaign begins 1 December

The government is going to launch a year-long campaign to strengthen family planning and raise public awareness about birth control.

Through the programme, initiatives will be taken to raise awareness about family planning methods and provide necessary information and services to protect the health of mothers and children.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to inaugurate the campaign on December 1, 2026 under the slogan, "Not more than two children, one is better", which will continue until November 30, 2027.

Officials of the Directorate General of Family Planning said the initiative has been taken considering the rate of contraceptive use and the reproductive situation in the country.

The campaign will highlight the importance of family planning services and encourage people to receive services at the grassroots level.

The increase in the fertility rate and decline in the use of contraceptive methods have emerged as important factors behind renewed emphasis on family planning activities in the country.

According to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' (BBS) Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025, the country's total fertility rate has increased to 2.4.

On the other hand, the contraceptive prevalence rate has declined from 62.7 percent to 58.2 percent.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain said, "We are going to launch a major year-long public awareness campaign on family planning services from December 1. It will continue until November 30, 2027."

He said the activities will begin at the primary level. Slogans would be disseminated through jari songs, sari songs, different types of sports and various other means.

However, the initiative will not be limited to publicity and awareness activities, he said, adding that arrangements would also be made to ensure the delivery of necessary contraceptive supplies and family planning services to people.

It is learnt that the country's total fertility rate (TFR) was 6.3 in 1975. Although it declined to 2.15 in 2022, it increased to 2.4 in 2025.

As the operational plan remained suspended for the past two years, shortages were created in awareness activities and the supply of necessary resources at the grassroots level.

The rate of child marriage is 24 percent. The rate of unintended pregnancy is 49 percent, and unsafe abortions are taking place in 61 percent of those cases.

Against this backdrop, the Directorate General of Family Planning is undertaking a 22-point strategic action plan for the entire year to accelerate family planning and maternal and child healthcare services at the grassroots level.

The plan includes engaging women members of parliament and local representatives, publicity through the mass media and journalists, free medical camps at marketplaces, engagement of religious and social leaders, appointing digital influencers as brand ambassadors, organising "Mother and Pregnant Women Protection Gatherings", providing services to slum and floating populations, establishing "Wellbeing Clubs" in 23,500 units, organising "Family Dialogues" at the union level, adolescent- and youth-friendly healthcare services, counselling for newly married couples and engaging men.

The plan also includes promoting free government family planning commodities, establishing referral partnerships with village doctors and midwives, and coordinating with NGOs and development partners.

Special emphasis will also be given to bringing adolescents and young people, newly married couples and men, as well as pregnant and postpartum mothers, slum dwellers, floating populations and various disadvantaged groups under the programme.

According to the action plan, apart from haat campaigns, rallies and coordination meetings, the authorities have set a target of involving around 27.3 lakh people in various awareness activities over one year.

In November, a national-level orientation programme will be organised with women members of parliament, while publicity activities through the media and journalists will be conducted in 64 districts and 503 upazilas.

In December, haat campaigns will be organised at the union level, while inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination meetings will be held at the upazila level.

Field workers of the Directorate General of Family Planning provide around 28 types of contraceptive commodities, including condoms, oral contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), injections and implants, free of cost.

However, as procurement of these commodities has remained suspended for more than two years, adequate stocks are not available in many upazilas and at the grassroots level.

According to the monitoring dashboard of the Directorate General of Family Planning's Supply Chain Management Portal (SCMP), stocks of condoms had been completely exhausted in 198 upazilas across the country as of October 7.

Besides, contraceptive pills were unavailable in 354 upazilas and IUDs were unavailable in 428 upazilas.

Asked about the matter, Directorate General of Family Planning Director General Dr Jinnat Rehana told BSS that the present government after assuming office has taken a new project to continue the unfinished activities of the previous operational plan.

Under the project, the process of procuring contraceptive commodities is at almost final stage, she said.

Dr Jinnat expressed hope that the commodities could be procured and distribution at the grassroots level could begin by December.

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She said, "Our supplies are arriving. Now we need to inform people that contraceptive commodities are available again, where they can be obtained and how they can be obtained. That is why an initiative has been taken to conduct a national campaign."

The official said child marriage must be prevented. At the same time, unintended pregnancies must be reduced and families must be made aware of the appropriate interval before having another child after the first one, she added.

Identifying the shortage of manpower as another major challenge for the family planning programme, the director general said there was a significant shortage of Family Welfare Assistants (FWAs), who provide services door-to-door at the grassroots level.

"We have a manpower shortage of around 37 percent," she said, adding, around 19,000 to 20,000 posts for FWA still remain vacant.

However, Dr Jinnat said efforts are underway to continue service activities with the existing workforce despite the manpower shortage.