Tanzania has suspended broadcasting of family planning advertisements by a US-funded project, a health ministry letter showed, a fortnight after President John Magufuli said family planning was for those “too lazy to take care of their children”, the East African reported. President John Magufuli had earlier said forms of contraception are unnecessary if people are working.
The letter signed by the permanent secretary in the ministry covering health and gender issues asked the head of FHI 360, a US-based non-governmental organisation, to immediately stop airing advertisements under a project called Tulonge Afya (Let’s speak health).
The letter written on September 19, said: “The ministry intends to revise the contents of all your ongoing radio and TV spots for family planning, thus I request you to stop with immediate effect airing and publishing any family planning contents in any media channels until further notice.”
The authenticity of the letter was later confirmed by a source from the health ministry who preferred to remain anonymous.
John Magufuli slammed family planning saying family planning was unnecessary if people were working, early this month. However, Tanzania is reported to have one of the highest birth rates in the world and high rates of poverty.
