• Mulwa said about 52 per cent of women within the reproductive age use modern contraceptives.
• The meeting was held ahead of the World Contraception Day that will be marked on September 26.
Image: MINISTRY OF HEALTH/TWITTER
Kenya recorded improvement in family planning uptake among women, Head of Promotive and Preventive Services at the Ministry of Health, Andrew Mulwa has said.
Speaking on Thursday during a round table meeting with health journalists and senior ministry officials, Mulwa said about 52 per cent of women within the reproductive age use modern contraceptives.
"This representing 5.2 million women, using modern family planning methods," he said.
The meeting was held ahead of the World Contraception Day that will be marked on September 26.
Mulwa, however, 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,” he added.
The head of Promotive and Preventive Services reiterated the government's commitment to addressing existing gaps.
He noted that the national government has increased domestic financing for family planning commodities with the country expected to fully finance its contraceptives budgetary needs by 2026.
“The government allocated Sh559 million for family planning commodities in the 2020-2021 financial year, Sh563 million during 2021-2022 while Sh1.19 billion shillings has been set aside for the 2022-2023 financial cycle.”
Speaking at the round table, Issak Bashir, head, department of family health decried societal myths and misconceptions as the reasons for low uptake in communities.
He added that the country risks witnessing a cycle of perpetual poverty if the correct information and services are not made available for the general population with the bulk being young people.