KULOB, July 13, 2008, 2008, Asia-Plus -- Only some 40 percent of women of reproductive age in Kulob now use contraceptives, Mr. Mahmadsharif Atoyev, a leading specialist with the Ministry of Health (MoH), remarked at a roundtable meeting in Kulob on July 11.  

The roundtable meeting was staged by PSI (Population Services International) jointly with the Kulob NGO Nakoukor within the framework of the project for improving reproductive health through social marketing.  The project is implemented by them with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The project coordinator, Shodiya Mirhaidarova, noted that the program covers the cities of Dushanbe and Kulob and the districts of Roudaki and Rumi.  In the Roudaki district, the meeting was held on July 8.

“We are currently holding roundtable meetings to discuss the results of the first two stages of implementation of the project,” Mirhaidarova said.  

“On July 17, we will hold the roundtable meeting in the Rumi district and on July 24 in Dushanbe and after that, we will stat work with the population,” the project coordinator said, noting that the project is striving to provide family planning and reproductive health services for 60% of women reproductive age in rural areas.   

PSI is a leading world organization in the sector of social marketing, implementing projects in 70 countries of 5 continents.  It is a non-for-profit, non-governmental organization conducting advocacy and training campaigns to motivate proper use of specific products and services in the areas of family planning, mother and child health as well as HIV/AIDS prevention.