• Taita Taiveta county recorded 61.3 per cent, Kilifi (53.7 per cent) and Kwale (50.1 per cent).
• DSW’s international programmes coordinator Joshua Ongwae said lack of proper awareness has contributed to the low contraceptive prevalence rate.
Mombasa and Tana River counties have continued to record low family planning uptake, statistics from the National Council for Population and Development have shown.
Between April and June this year, only 21.4 per cent of women of reproductive age in Tana River were using modern contraceptives, while in Mombasa only 33.9 per cent were on family planning.
NCPD Coast population coordinator Stephen Ndambuki said Lamu is the leading county in the region in family planning uptake.
In the second quarter of 2020, Lamu county recorded 66.7 per cent uptake followed by Taita Taiveta county with 61.3 per cent and Kilifi county with 53.7 per cent. Kwale was fourth with 50.1 per cent.
During the same period, Kenya’s family planning uptake among women of reproductive age was 45.2 per cent.
“If you look at the four counties you will realise that they have made a great improvement. Maybe things would have been better if it were not for Covid-19 disruption," he said.
Ndambuki spoke on Saturday during the closure of a three-day advocacy workshop for youth organised by Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung in Kilifi.
DSW’s international programmes coordinator Joshua Ongwae said lack of proper awareness has contributed to the low contraceptive prevalence rate.
“We are still fighting cultural barriers in the use of contraceptives. There are some people who have not accepted the use of contraceptives. We have religious leaders and other cultural enthusiasts who are yet to buy to this idea,” he said.
Ongwae also noted that most healthcare workers have no proper information on contraceptive use, hence most youth do not feel comfortable using things they have no proper information on.
Edited by A.N