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 Ness Kerton / AusAID

A Planned Parenthood-backed group of New Zealand parliamentarians is urging Pacific Island governments to invest in “sexual and reproductive health” initiatives.

In a release marking World Population Day on July 11, the NZ Parliamentarians Group on Population and Development (NZPPD) said if governments invest more in these initiatives, in particular family planning, it will improve choices and opportunities and advance sustainable development.

According to the NZPPD, contraceptive use in Island nations such as Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, and Solomon Islands is less than 30 percent.

However, Father Giorgio Licini, secretary of the Commission for Social Communications for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Solomon Islands, disagrees. In an interview with Agenzia Fides earlier this year he was adamant that his nation can sustain a large population growth and has no need for anti-population programs.

“With a population which is still limited and with considerable internal resources, PNG can easily plan to become a country of 30-40 million people by the end of the century, with a much stronger and diversified economy,” he said.

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NZPPD was established in 1998 in order to further the Programme of Action developed by the International Conference on Population and Development. The secretariat for the NZPPD is Family Planning, an affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Family Planning International is very active in the Pacific Islands.  Most recently they have been working in Kiribati on their “Healthy Families Project,” a three year program due to end in 2015. The project seeks to improve access to “sexual and reproductive health” services and information.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that investing in reproductive health is central to advancing many areas of society. When women and couples can plan their families, they tend to have smaller families, which allows them to invest more in the children they have,” says Dr. Paul Hutchison, the NZPPD’s chair.