Government is mobilizing US$177 million towards the National Family Planning Strategy which seeks to increase the uptake of modern contraception from the current 2.4 million women to 2.7 million between 2016 and 2020.
This could effectively mean that the average cost of reaching one woman of reproductive age per year is approximately US$14.
Minister of Health and Child care, Dr David Parirenyatwa said, through his Ministry, government has successfully provided access to contraceptive services since independence.
“The enactment of the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Act 1985 and establishment of the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council marked a heightened commitment by the government to offer family planning services as part of primary health care services.
“The decline in the total fertility rate from 6.7 children per women in 1984 to four children per woman in 2015 is a sign of our nation’s embrace of the family planning programme after realizing its associated benefits.
“Building upon these successes, we intend to achieve universal access to qualify intergraded family planning services by 2020, by doing so we aim to reduce teenage pregnancies and unmet need,” he said.
Meanwhile Ms Abigail Msemburi, a representative from UNFPA Zimbabwe said investments in family planning can contribute to a rise in the country’s economic earning potential.
“Investments in family planning can contribute to a raise in the country’s economic earning potential, this happens when the size of the dependent population shrinks in comparison to size of those in working age creating an economic advantage which we call the demographic dividend.
“As UNFPA, we would like to congratulate government of Zimbabwe for its unwavering commitment to national Family Planning programme that has resulted in progressive improvement, particularly in reaching the FP2020 target of 68% contraceptive prevalence rate with over 2 million women currently using some form of family planning,” she said.
