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September 27, 2024
This year’s World Contraception Day (WCD 2024) celebrations focused on raising awareness about modern contraceptive options and emphasized the need for improved access and utilization across Kenya. At both the national and county levels, the message was clear—advocating for domestic financing and innovative approaches to delivering inclusive family planning.
Under the theme “Contraception Choices: The Power is in My Hands,” WCD 2024 highlighted the importance of empowering individuals and families to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
The national event, hosted in Narok County, saw the Ministry of Health reaffirm its global commitment to reproductive health rights, aligned with the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
Dr. Serem, Head of the Division of Reproductive and Maternal Health, emphasized the availability of a wide range of contraceptive methods at both health facilities and community levels.
He underscored the significant unmet need for family planning among young women aged 15-19, especially in counties like Narok, Homabay, Lamu, and Kajiado, where the distance to health facilities remains a major barrier. To address this, the Ministry is prioritizing primary healthcare and leveraging the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) program to foster open discussions about reproductive health rights.
Notable attendees at the event included representatives from UNFPA, USAID, JHIPIEGO, PS Kenya, Girl Effect, and Living Goods, among others. Living Goods also partnered with the Kisumu and Vihiga county governments to emphasize family planning’s critical role in protecting the health of mothers and children.
In Kisumu County, the celebration took place at Nyalenda Health Centre, where Dr. Don Sunday Ogola, County Director of Medical Services, highlighted the importance of family planning in helping families thrive.
He spotlighted an innovative initiative in Seme Sub-County, developed in partnership with Living Goods, which empowers men to be advocates for family planning. Asha, a male champion, shared his experience in challenging misconceptions and myths around family planning, encouraging men and women to work together to make informed reproductive health decisions.
Dr. Amihanda from Living Goods emphasized that family planning is a shared responsibility, urging men to engage in conversations with their spouses and seek information and services.
In Vihiga County, the celebration at Luanda Sub-County Health Centre featured two insightful panel discussions: “Collaborating for Family Planning” and “Partnership for Progress.” Dr. Mary Susan Anyienda, Chief Officer of Health, commended the county’s partners for their support, noting that 62% of women of reproductive age are using a family planning method, and 54% of postpartum mothers have adopted family planning.
Community Health Promoters played a pivotal role in mobilizing community members for free family planning services through an in-reach event, further demonstrating the power of partnerships in addressing Kenya’s unmet family planning needs.