DOH: All systems go for distribution of contraceptives
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III noted that DOH’s priority is the distribution of the estimated 261,000 implants within 10 months. File
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Thursday announced that it will start distributing family planning products after the Food and Drug Administration certified that 51 contraceptives do not induce abortions.
“Therefore, there has been a resumption of the provision of the essential reproductive health services to Filipino women and their families,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press conference.
On November 12, FDA found 51 contraceptive products covered by the temporary restraining order of the Supreme Court, including the controversial Implanon and Implanon NXT, as safe and non-abortifacient.
Duque noted that DOH’s priority is the distribution of the estimated 261,000 implants within 10 months.
READ: FDA: 51 contraceptives safe, non-abortifacient
Commission on Population Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez said that the implants in Manila warehouse are due to expire in September 2018.
There are also implants that will expire in April 2019.
“So we will prioritize through DOH the distribution of Manila-based implants to the regional offices and the civil society organizations so that they can be in the field in the next two weeks,” Perez said.
He said family planning services and commodities are free and available in government health units, hospitals and CSOs.
The Supreme Court had ordered the FDA to recertify the products as a requirement for the lifting of the temporary restraining order it issued in June 2015.
The order stemmed from a petition filed by the Alliance for Family Planning Foundation Philippines Inc., which claimed that implants cause abortions.
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