National Council for Population and Development has called on communities in the Northeastern region to promote child spacing for better reproductive health.
Speaking during a one-day sensitisation workshop for Garissa journalists, NCPD Northeastern coordinator Moses Ouma said child spacing of at least two years and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months reduces pregnancy-related complications.
Medical experts say children born at the right spacing are healthier because their mothers have more energy and are less stressed out. Their bodies have enough time to replace nutrients stores before getting pregnant again.
Ouma said despite the key role that child spacing plays in sexual and reproductive health, the unmet need remains high.
Lack of accurate information on family planning resulting in propaganda and misinformation around family planning, perceived high cost of family planning, make it out of reach of majority poor.
“About 646 women out of every 100,000 die due to birth complications, 37 of every 1000 children over five years and 44 of every 1000 children below five years. These cases can be reduced if proper antenatal care is given to mothers and better health systems are developed in counties”, he said
Ouma said the poor quality of maternal health services is mostly occasioned by lack of supplies and equipment, understaffing, inadequate training and supervision, negligence, unethical practices, and weak referral systems in these areas.
“The long distance covered to access the maternal health services especially in the far-flung areas in this region, unavailability of maternal health services, including antenatal care, delivery care and postpartum care, is of major concern”, he said
“We urge the county governments to invest at least 30 per cent of county budgets in health care. We should not be losing mothers and children during birth because of lacking better health care”, Ouma said.
He called on journalists to report correctly on population and family planning issues, integrate population issues and other developments stories and seek clarification on critical matters of health reproductive from experts and relevant authorities.
“You play a bigger role in influencing public opinion and policymaking process. Policy audiences, civil societies and the general public on the importance of health reproductive issues so that we may reduce maternal death rates and build a sustainable economy”, Ouma said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
