UNFPA injects Sh69.8m into contraceptives supply in Kenya
An assortment of contraceptives.
What you need to know:
- The agency said the commodities would be distributed to 300 public health facilities in rural, informal urban settlements and humanitarian settings.
- They will benefit the women and girls who are unlikely to access the family planning services.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has announced a Sh 69.8 million funding to support provision of reproductive health commodities in Kenya.
In a September 1 statement, the UN’s reproductive health agency said with the funding secured from United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKaid), Kenya would be able to access high-quality and safe contraceptives for women.
The agency said the commodities would be distributed in 300 public health facilities in rural, informal urban settlements and humanitarian settings to benefit the women and girls who are unlikely to access the family planning services.
“When a woman is able to plan whether and when to have children, she is better equipped to complete her education and improve her economic status, which in turn contributes to the nation’s socioeconomic development,” said the British High Commission team leader, Dr Samora Otieno, in the statement.
He said access to family planning services is a means to reducing poverty and realising sustainable development goals.
The funds according to the statement would also go into supporting the national government and counties build efficient and accountable mechanisms for provision of the commodities.
UNFPA Kenya country representative, Anders Thomsen said the investment would result in prevention of 26,000 unintended pregnancies, and 6,000 unsafe abortions.
“Family planning is vital to safe motherhood and can contribute to less public sector spending on health by reducing costs related to unplanned births, unsafe abortions, as well as death and disability related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth,” he said.
During the 2019 Nairobi Summit, Kenya committed to universal access to friendly quality reproductive health services and information to the youth and adolescents by 2030.
Hence, funding from development partners would enable Kenya to achieve its target.
According to Family Planning 2030 as at 2021, 6,140,000 women in Kenya were using a modern method of contraception.
This is projected to prevent 2,340,000 unintended pregnancies,583,000 unsafe abortions and 6,000 maternal deaths.
