COMPILED BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Though it is a sad fact, pregnancy and childbirth complications remain the leading cause of death among 15 to 19 year-old girls globally, with low and middle-income countries accounting for 99 % of global maternal deaths of women aged 15 to 49 years. Evidence suggests that Family Planning interventions contributed to more than a 25 % reduction in the maternal mortality ratio.
In another context, an estimated 23 million adolescent girls have an unmet need for modern contraception and are at risk of unintended pregnancy. Addressing all of these challenges will be possible only through creating access to informed and voluntary family planning services, as stated in the National Guideline for Family Planning Services in Ethiopia, 2019.
Besides its commitment to meet the sustainable development goals, the government of Ethiopia considers Family Planning as one of the key strategies to improving maternal health and bringing about development. Since the revision of the first guideline in 2011, there have been various local and international updates on the provision of family planning services.
It is no wonder that access to family planning service is one of the reproductive rights of a woman and it is one of the tools used to prevent unintended pregnancy and to reduce maternal mortality in Ethiopia.
FP not only helps women preserve their health and contributes to the improvement of the overall quality of their lives, but it could also help to space and delay pregnancies for a woman who is at risk of pregnancy related problems.
Moreover, using a family planning method will benefit mothers who have chronic cardiac, renal and respiratory problems, multiparous women who are at risk of post-partum bleeding, and adolescents and youth who want to delay pregnancy.
Recently, the Ministry of Health held discussion with spokespersons of Speakers of State Council, youth, leaders from women league and representatives from various partners and concerned institutions on family planning and reproductive health.
During the discussion, Maternal and Child Health Director with the Ministry of Health (MoH) Meseret Zelalem (MD) stressed that the major interventions carried out with regard to fairly distributing family planning and reproductive health services has played a significant role in reducing maternal and child mortality rate.
Mentioning the holistic importance of improving the provision of family planning services for a nation, the Director indicated that a plan is set to lift up family planning service to 50 % in the second Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP-II). Likewise, she added that the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) has also recognized the fact and plans to make the service 54 % within 10 years’ time.
She elaborated that facilitating the necessary equipment, appropriate budget allocation as well as commitment is important to deliver fair family planning and reproductive health services. Furthermore, she stressed the need to prioritize budget allocation similar to the concerted efforts of pertinent stakeholders.
While presenting a paper on the discussion, Maternal and Child Health Family Planning Directorate Advisor, Jemal Adem (MD) illustrated that financial constraint and lack of awareness remain challenges not to deliver fair family planning services. Thus, joint efforts are needed to curb the underlying challenges as well as acquire the desired result, he recommended.
Meanwhile, during the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) day celebration held under the theme ‘Build the world we want and a future for all’, Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse (MD) highlighted the need to work together with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), development partners as well as other stakeholders to bring about change.
Speaking on the UHC day organized by the Ministry along with Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA), Save the Children, Consortium of Reproductive Health Associations (CORHA), International Institute For Primary Health Care – Ethiopia (IPHCE), Consortium of Ethiopian Non-Communicable Diseases Association (CENCDA) and MWCA, the Minister emphasized that through the expansion of primary health care facilities, in terms of infrastructure, workforce, increase in number and diversification of health professionals and also in the availability of input, the nation was able to reduce child and maternal mortality, reduces death of infectious diseases and improved availability of better sanitation through collective leadership, professionals, community, stakeholders at all levels, It is important to note that FP service is a very cost- effective investment compared with investments in most other health and social interventions to bring quality of health to a woman and her child.
It saves the lives of women and children, improves the quality of life for all and reduces morbidity and mortality from pregnancy and has social and economic importance. According to the WHO, children with fewer siblings tend to stay in school longer than those with more siblings. When girls leave school early for marriage and childbearing, it perpetuates the cycle of high fertility, low women’s status and high rates of poverty.
By the same token, the National Guideline for Family Planning Services in Ethiopia further elaborated that investing in expanding access to voluntary family planning contributes to better economic outcomes for households, communities, and nations. FP will ensure that women have the freedom to decide when to have children, to be more engaged in various household activities, personal development activities and community participation, it stated.
On the other hand, it said investment in family planning service saves various expenses that result from social, economic and cultural impacts of unplanned pregnancy and childbirth. For the aforementioned social as well as economic benefits of FP, more importantly, for the promising result registered in maternal and infant mortality rate reduction and to make the success sustainable, it is important to build on past gains; and joint intervention is fundamental.
Thus, the participation of all stakeholders, engagement of private sector as well as the commitment of the government is highly needed to realize the desired result- to create a world where a mother as well as an infant is out of risk with regard to birth related problems.
The Ethiopian Herald December 22/2022
