Kenya has recorded improvement in family planning uptake among women of reproductive age.
Statics from the Ministry of Health shows that currently, 52 per cent of women eligible representing 5.2 million are using modern family planning methods.
Speaking on Thursday, September 22, 2022, during a round table meeting with health journalists, the head of promotive and preventive services at the Ministry of Health Dr Andrew Mulwa said the government remains committed to addressing existing gaps with statistics indicating a gradual improvement in uptake.
This is even as he raised concern over the low uptake of family planning commodities among men despite them having the greatest influence on reproductive matters.
“If we don’t take care of the population now, we will take care of the negative impact of population explosion in the immediate future,” observed Mulwa.
Financing for family planning
With Kenya now classified as a middle-income country, the Ministry of Health official said the national government has gradually increased domestic financing for family planning commodities.
He noted that the country is expected to fully finance its contraceptives budgetary needs by 2026.
“The government allocated Ksh559 million for family planning commodities in the 2020/2021 financial year, Ksh563 million during 2021/2022 while Ksh1.19 billion has been set aside for the 2022/2023 financial cycle,” said Mulwa.
Some partners including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID and UNFPA have pledged to provide monetary support to bridge the financing gap with supply requirements standing at Ksh2.5 billion during this financial year.
Speaking at the same forum, the head department of family health Dr Issak Bashir decried deep-seated societal myths and misconceptions that he blamed on the low uptake among sections of the community.
According to Bashir, the country risks witnessing a cycle of perpetual poverty if the correct information and services are not made available to the general population with the bulk being young people.
Unapproved family planning commodities
But even as the push for enhanced uptake of family planning commodities intensifies, experts have warned Kenyans against taking family planning commodities that have not been approved and registered by the Pharmacies and Poisons Board (PPB).
Dr Albert Ndwiga, the family planning program manager at the Ministry of Health says some of the pills that have illegally found their way into the Kenyan market are not safe for use.
Thursday’s engagement between health journalists and senior Ministry of Health officials came ahead of this year’s World Contraception Day celebrations which will be marked on September 26th.
The 2022 theme is ‘Breaking Myths in Family Planning’.
