Indonesia faces virus-driven spike in births

JAKARTA: Indonesia is facing a baby boom that could see more than 400,000 unplanned pregnancies as coronavirus lockdowns cut access to birth control, the national family planning agency said on Tuesday.

Small health clinics have been temporarily shuttered while doctors and midwives are limiting patient numbers since the Southeast Asian nation implemented a partial lockdown last month to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

That has made it more difficult for Indonesians to access birth control, the agency said. "There are also many people who chose to comply with the government’s order to stay at home unless there’s an emergency," Hasto Wardoyo, head of Indonesia’s national population and family planning board (BKKBN), told AFP.

"I guess many people don’t see contraception as an emergency," he added. By early next year, Indonesia -- the world’s fourth most populous country -- could see 420,000 more babies born than would otherwise be expected, the agency estimated.