Contraceptive use drops by 0.4m during pandemic
The Ministry of Health says the use of contraceptives in the country has significantly dropped since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic last year.
What you need to know:
- The use of contraceptives in the country has significantly dropped since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic last year.
- Data from MOH shows family planning use among women dropped from 5.4 million to 5.02 million between 2020 and 2021.
The use of contraceptives in the country has significantly dropped since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic last year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has revealed.
Data from MOH shows family planning use among women dropped from 5.4 million to 5.02 million between 2020 and 2021.
Before the pandemic, contraceptives use among women of reproductive age was on a trajectory from 4.4 million in the year 2018 to 2019 growing to 5.4 million in 2019 and 2020.
At the height of the pandemic, many women feared visiting health facilities for fear of contracting the virus. Secondly, supply of family planning commodities was also disrupted and some hospitals could not offer the services.
Contraceptive uptake among the youth aged 15-24 rose between 2019 and 2020 as the schools remained closed due to the pandemic.
Dr Estella Waiguru, the Family Planning Lead at MOH while speaking during a media breakfast meeting in Nairobi ahead of yesterday’s celebrations to mark World Contraception Day, said the government estimates that in 2021, use of contraception will avert more than 2.4 million unintended pregnancies and 6,100 maternal deaths.
Dr Estella Waiguru, the Family Planning Lead at Ministry of Health at the meeting held at Nairobi on September 24, 2021 ahead of celebrations to mark World Contraceptives Day.
She said Kirinyaga, Meru, Kiambu, Machakos, Tharaka Nithi, Embu and Nyeri are the best performing counties in terms of modern contraceptives uptake among women in union and those married, with over 70 per cent of modern method contraceptive prevalence rate (MCPR).
North Eastern region counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa she said, recorded the lowest contraceptive uptake MCPR of below 10 percent each.
Implant is the most used contraceptive method at 38 per cent followed by injectable at 35 per cent. Use of condoms, oral contraceptive pills, Intrauterine Devices (IUD) and sterilisation are other methods also preferred by many women.
The data also indicated that Kenya in 2020, attained a contraceptive uptake of 61 per cent while fertility dropped by 0.5 to 3.4 births per woman between 2014 and 2020.
Sole decision
More than half of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Turkana (64 per cent), Nyamira (58 per cent) and Kiambu (54 per cent) have autonomy on decisions to use contraceptives
However, about 46 per cent of men or husbands in West Pokot have sole decision making power on contraceptive use by their wives.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (SRHR) Executive Director Mwikali Kivuvani said communication breakdown in families touching on sex and reproductive health education, leading to lack of uptake of contraceptives.
“We need to create awareness and bring back the discussion to women and girls on why using contraceptives is important. Contraceptives play a big role in taming unintended teenage pregnancy and reducing maternal mortality, “she said.
According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey, 2014 counties where spouses make joint decisions on use of contraception are Taita Taveta, Tana River and Kisumu, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Kisii, Uasin Gishu and Kilifi (70 per cent).
Dr Dan Okoro from UNFPA Kenya observed 30-40 percent of maternal mortalities can be avoided if the unmet needs of family planning were sorted.
He added the current disparity in the distribution of family planning commodities in counties is a serious concern.
UNFPA Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Advisor Dr Dan Okoro at the event to mark World Contraceptive Day 2021, in Nairobi.
Between 2007 and 2018, Rwanda emerged the top as the country with the highest percentage of women aged 15-49 who make their own decisions on the use of contraception in the Eastern Africa region. It is followed by Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
The World Population Data Sheet puts Kenya as the fourth country with over 60 per cent use of MCPR in sub-Saharan Africa after Zimbabwe, Eswatini (66 per cent) and Lesotho (65 per cent).
World Contraception Day is an international annual event celebrated on September 26, to raise awareness on contraception to enable couples to make informed decisions and choices in planning their ideal families.
