No More Broadcasting of Family Planning Adverts in Tanzania – Magufuli

Many of us saw it as a joke when the President of Tanzania John Pombe Magufuli urged women to stop using contraceptives and give birth to more children. Out of this comment, it is now official that no single family planning advert will be broadcasted in Tanzania.

The Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children in Tanzania sent a memo to a Non-Governmental Organization USAID asking it to stop sponsoring family planning adverts which have been airing both on radio and TV.

“The Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children acknowledges various support from your Organization in improving Family Planning Services in the County. However, 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,” read a memo in part.

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This has come days after Magufuli said that those who use birth control are too lazy to take care of children.

“If you cannot work then opt for family planning but if you can work hard why family planning?” he said.

“Let me tell you in front of the minister of health who is always advocating for family planning, go to the farm, work hard … if you have enough food then give birth as you can,” he said during a tour in Tanzania.

Magufuli, who came to power in 2015, has previously come under fire for his authoritarian leadership style.

Tanzania has a population of about 55 million people with 49 percent of them living on less than 200 shillings a day.