REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - About 48 percent of Indonesia women get married under 15 year old and 5 percent are even married under 14 year old. Underage marriage is among a number of factors causing high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Indonesia.

Head of National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Fasli Jalal underlined the importance of campaign to raise people's awareness on marriage at proper age. 

"Knowledge on reproduction health is very important," Fasli said in a written statement, recently.

Jalal cited data that every year there were 2.3 millions couple got married and 4.5 millions women got pregnant. While Chris Tan, President and Managing Director MSD (Merck Sharp and Dohme) Indonesia, expressed his commitment to support women health's campaign. Hence, the company works with some other parties to provide health information and access for Indonesian women to improve their health as well as their families'.

"We believe that family planning and women's health are determining factors," Chris Tan said. 

MSD has launched MSD for Mothers program targeting 10,000 female workers in a number of factories in Indonesia. The program which started in 2013 aims to decrease the sickness and mortality rates among female workers in Indonesia. He expects the program will be a pilot project demonstrating cooperation between private sector and the government. 

"Female workers are the growing group target which the number now has reached 43 millions. Indonesia has various number of industries and factories with majority of their workers are women. They play important role to accelerate Indonesian economic growth," Tan added.  

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