Source: The Rwanda Focus
Family planning is crucial not only for individual and family development, but also for the development of the country as a whole, affecting on the way global development.

This was emphasized by members of the Eastern Africa Reproductive Health Network EARHN in a summit held in Kigali on May 21.

Participants paid special attention to family planning as part of the bigger picture of problems affecting the development of the eastern Africa region.

To better demonstrate the consequences of lack of family planning Abdelylah Lakssir who attended from the Africa Regional Office of Partners in Population and Development noted that reproductive health plays a key role in the achievement of the MDGs.

"For example when you want to halve the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day and those who suffer from hunger, the women's productivity will play a key role in this when the maternal health is improved through family planning", he said.

"The fewer the births, the more likely we can cope with the provision of skilled attendance at birth, thus improving the maternal health," said Lakssir adding that the increased wellbeing and productivity will contribute to the reduction of dependency level at both family and national levels.

According to the participants of EARHN-Kigali summit, the number of children that have to be provided with education will help to manage the target of ensuring that by 2015 children, boys and girls alike, are able to complete primary schooling.

Having a small number of children will also help to avoid the scenario where parents with too many children to educate tend to educate sons only, further promoting gender inequality in all levels of education.

It will also contribute to the reduction of child mortality as when a family has fewer children they can receive better care, better nutrition, better health services; access to water and sanitation, which ensures environmental sustainability.

Rwanda is improving but more is needed

Rwanda joined the network in 2010 and has already made some progress when it comes to family planning. The total fertility rate for women aged 15 to 49 passed from 6.1 in 2005 to 4.6 in 2010.

"Women with secondary and higher education had a fertility rate of 3.0; those with primary education had 4.8 while those with no education had 5.4." explained Dr. Anicet Nzabonimpa, coordinator of the family planning, HIV, maternal and child integration unit in the ministry of health. He remarked that the high fertility rate is due to ignorance and a lack of exposure to the right information.

"There is also the idea still existing in our culture that having many children is a force and blessing."

The research showed the proportion of sexual active married women 15-49 of age who were using any modern family planning method, was only 45% and that of sexually active, unmarried women was of 40%.

The problem of an unmet need for family planning was found among 19% of married women, and this is thought to be one of the reasons leading to a gap between wanted fertility which is 3.1 and the actual fertility, 4.6.

"This comes from the lack of accessibility to the family planning services because of various reasons including shortage of health professionals, health facilities managed by churches which don't promote the provision of modern methods of family planning, fear of side effects and rumors circulating in community", Nzabonimpa explained.

"There is also the idea still existing in our culture that having many children is a force and blessing."

In order to meet the need for family planning and increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate, the government has adopted some strategies.

Were created secondary health posts near the facilities managed by churches which actually don't provide family planning methods and the community was availed with based provision of contraceptive methods at village level.

Moreover, health centers have integrated the family planning methods within other health services.

For all the commitment and efforts made towards family planning and universal access to reproductive health, Rwanda received the 2012 Resolve Award for innovation in service delivery. The award was given at the 65th World Health Assembly held in Geneva May 21-26.

The EARHN is a south-south initiative which was started in 1996 and is currently comprised of government ministries responsible for addressing population, reproductive health and development issues from different countries including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The network is playing an important role as a platform where the member countries can share their experience, learn from each other and work together to overcome the problems and challenges they are facing. 

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