The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial Government has implemented several regulations to improve the quality of reproductive health. Among these is Regional Regulation (Perda) No. 2 of 2018 concerning the Regional Health System. This Perda regulates various aspects of health service provision in NTT, including issues related to maternal and child health services, as well as reproductive health aspects.
Nevertheless, reproductive health conditions, especially the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and access to Family Planning (FP) in NTT, are still far from ideal. Data shows that in 2023, 135 MMR cases occurred in NTT. This figure is quite high compared to provinces on Java Island. Furthermore, data from the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) indicates that the percentage of long-term contraceptive use is still far from the national target, at 57% compared to 70%.
Given these conditions, collaboration is needed to plan and budget programs, especially for reproductive health interventions in NTT. This way, the MMR can be reduced, and the use of long-term contraception can increase with the support of planning and budgeting.
Eliza Permata Sari, Health System Strengthening Advisor at Yayasan IPAS Indonesia, stated, “integrated planning and budgeting with reproductive health programs help establish service priorities, achievement targets, and provide the necessary resources to achieve these goals through sustainable steps in the regional development process.”
To support this integration, Yayasan IPAS Indonesia, through the TAKENUSA project (Joint Determination for Women of Nusa Tenggara), organized a multi-stakeholder capacity-building workshop to achieve better reproductive health, focusing on planning and budgeting.
This activity was carried out in TAKENUSA’s working areas, namely, East Flores Regency, Kupang Regency, South Central Timor, and at the NTT Provincial level from February 20-28, 2025. This activity involved representatives from the Regional Research and Innovation Development Planning Agency (Bapperida) of NTT Province, the Health Office, the Community and Village Empowerment Office, hospitals, and Puskesmas (community health centers) from TAKENUSA’s working areas.
The Head of Bapperida NTT Province, Dr. Alfonsus Theodorus, ST., MT., appreciated this workshop. He stated that this workshop coincided perfectly with the drafting period of the NTT Provincial RPJMD (Regional Medium-Term Development Plan) for 2025-2029.
From the workshops in these three regencies, the following challenges need to be addressed to support better planning and budgeting for Reproductive Health programs in NTT:
- There is a need for policy support that aligns with reproductive health intervention programs.
- Collaboration is needed between governmental and non-governmental institutions.
- Improving the quality of human resources, especially healthcare providers.
- Ensuring the availability of health equipment, especially for Family Planning programs.
- Socio-cultural approaches to encourage community access to health services.