Tanzania Suspends Radio, TV Family Planning Ads Part Of U.S.-Supported Program

Reuters: Tanzania suspends U.S.-funded family planning ads on radio, television
“Tanzania has suspended broadcasting of family planning advertisements by a U.S.-funded project, a health ministry letter showed, a fortnight after President John Magufuli said family planning was for those ‘too lazy to take care of their children.’ The letter written by a senior official in the ministry covering health and gender issues asked the head of FHI 360, a U.S.-based non-governmental organization, to immediately stop airing advertisements under a project called Tulonge Afya (Let’s speak health). … Officials from FHI 360 and [the] USAID Tanzania office did not immediately respond when Reuters sought comment…” (Dausen, 9/20).

Xinhua News: Tanzania suspends family planning ads
“…The letter, dated Sept. 19, 2018, ordered the organizations to stop airing all content on family planning until it is revised by the government. ‘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,’ [Mpoki Ulisubisya, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Health,] said in the letter. … ‘We want to come up with a standard message to the public on family planning,’ Ulisubisya told Xinhua over the phone…” (9/20).

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