COVID Babies – Numbers to Grow Due to Pandemic
Everyone is at home in self isolation and quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit worldwide. In the Philippines, experts say the COVID lockdown will be a key factor of more babies. More than 5 million Filipinas are likely to find their reproductive health services disrupted. Consequently some 1.8 million unplanned and unexpected pregnancies due to the unavailable supply of free contraceptives from POP COM.
COVID Babies – New Boomer Babies
On the global scale, the United Nations Population Fund or UNFA has estimated over 47 million women that could lose access to contraceptives as a result of the coronavirus overloading health systems. Added to this, the global distribution of supplies may also be another problem as everything is being strictly monitored. This could result in 7 million unplanned and unintended pregnancies worldwide.
It is almost common sense to figure out there will be more babies born due to COVID lock down. Those with no work (not even online), has nothing better to do than create their home into a love nest. However, the UNFPA and the University of the Philippines Population Institute or UPPI are predicting a coronavirus baby boom with an additional 751,000 unplanned, and unintended pregnancies if community quarantine measures continue until the end of 2020.
This would be the highest number of births in the country since 2012, according to Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of the POPCOM.
According to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) data, the number of births in 2012 was 1.79 million and has been slowly declining as family planning services became more widely available. POPCOM says government health centers have seen a 50% drop in people using their supply of contraceptives since March, mostly due to lack of public transport, limited clinical staff, and reduced clinic hours.
To make reproductive health services easier to access, the health department launched Family Planning on Wheels, a program where health workers visit various communities and hand out three months’ supply of their preferred birth control methods.
It is highly encouraged for all to stay at home and stay safe. Please wear your face masks when going out, practice social distancing and sanitize!
