Siaya county steps up efforts to Address 23% unmet family planning need

Siaya county is stepping up community-based family planning campaigns.

The county is seeking greater involvement of men in reproductive health decisions as officials address a 23.2 per cent unmet need for contraceptive services.

It is relying on Community Health Promoters (CHPs), integrated outreach programmes and increased public education to reach residents who continue to face barriers to accessing family planning services.

Siaya County Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health coordinator Pamela Josephine Anyango said the county had made progress in contraceptive uptake, but the gains had not been evenly distributed across the region.

Speaking in Ugunja, Anyango said family planning uptake had risen from 46.3 per cent to 52.1 per cent, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

However, she noted wide disparities among the county’s six subcounties. Alego Usonga recorded the highest uptake, partly attributed to its greater concentration of health facilities.

Rarieda, she said, had the lowest uptake at about 33.2 per cent.

Anyango attributed the improvement to door-to-door sensitisation by CHPs and outreach services targeting underserved communities.

“The 23.2 per cent unmet need means these individuals are out there in our communities,” she said, adding that integrated outreach had helped bring services closer to residents.

The outreach programmes provide services including antenatal care, ultrasound examinations, counselling and referrals for permanent contraceptive methods.

Siaya County Director of Public Health Kennedy Oruenjo called for greater participation of men in family planning decisions, saying reproductive health should be treated as a shared responsibility within households.

“Family planning should not be seen as a responsibility for women alone,” Oruenjo said.

He also addressed concerns over access to healthcare during the ongoing health workers’ strike, saying contracted staff remained available to provide emergency services and conduct selected community outreaches.

Oruenjo urged residents requiring urgent medical attention to continue seeking care at health facilities.

Ugunja Deputy County Commissioner Josephat Musyoki called for increased public education to counter myths and misinformation surrounding contraceptive methods.

He said access to family planning could help households plan the number and spacing of children, reduce unintended pregnancies and contribute to improved economic wellbeing.

County authorities said they would continue investing in community-level health interventions, training health workers and maintaining supplies of reproductive health commodities to reduce gaps in access to family planning services.

by FAITH MATETE