By TAMIA NUNA
Kenya has been at the forefront of family planning initiatives in Africa, spearheading a nationwide program since 1967. According to the Kenya Development Health Survey 2022, the usage of modern methods of family planning among married women has significantly increased, rising from 18% in 1989 to 57% in 2022, while traditional methods account for 6%. The demand for family planning has consistently grown, and the unmet need for contraception has decreased to 14% from 35% in 1993. The Kenyan government aims to further reduce this figure to 10% by 2030. Concurrently, the United Nations intends to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, while incorporating reproductive health into national policies and programs. Consequently, it is important to explore the relationship between accessibility to family planning services and socio-economic development.
While access to family planning has direct health benefits, such as the prevention of unintended pregnancy and, subsequently, decreased maternal mortality and morbidity, it is a fundamental element of achieving socio-economic development. Goals such as poverty reduction, gender equality, and reduced inequalities can be attained through effective family planning initiatives.
One significant effect of accessible family planning is a decline in birth rates, leading to a decrease in the dependent population relative to the working population. This demographic shift creates a larger pool of resources that can be allocated toward education, job creation, and infrastructure development. By empowering women and families to prevent undesired pregnancies and births, communities can effectively pace development with population growth. Therefore, these communities can develop job opportunities, expand healthcare services, and construct more schools, all with a primary focus on quality rather than scrambling to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population.
Moreover, family planning enables women to concentrate on career and educational advancement, which increases family income and enhances their autonomy within households. This, in turn, leads to reduced poverty and gender inequality. By ensuring access to family planning services for women from all backgrounds, socio-economic disparities can be minimized. This is particularly crucial since unintended childbearing is most prevalent among rural, uneducated, and economically disadvantaged women. Therefore, addressing the issue of unintended pregnancies helps to reduce inequalities.
The recent budgetary cuts in family planning allocations, as seen in the 2023-24 budget statement, however, pose a challenge. It is imperative for the national government to recognize that ensuring access to family planning services and information in Kenya is essential for achieving socio-economic development, promoting good health and well-being by reducing poverty, fostering gender equality, and diminishing inequalities. These efforts are crucial for realizing the goals outlined in Vision 2030.
Ms. Tamia Nuna is a Sexual Health Advocate at NAYA Kenya.
