The First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa has challenged men to take up family planning and assist women in choosing and accessing best methods for use.
Officiating at the launch of the Population Services Zimbabwe and Swedish Government funded project in Harare yesterday, the first lady said men should be involved in family planning and should help women choose the best methods.
“To men out there, Family Planning is your responsibility too. Your involvement in assisting women in choosing and accessing methods is highly encouraged,
“There are methods specifically meant for men for example vasectomy which is offered by the Ministry of Health through Population Services Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), I urge you to consider them.
“The SIDA partnership is going to enable Population Services Zimbabwe to support and strengthen at least 60 public rural health facilities in Zimbabwe to offer quality long term family planning services and youth friendly services,” she said.
She urged youths to delay sexual activity and concentrate on advancing their education.
“I urge all the youths out there to delay sexual activities and invest your energies in advancing your education as we strive for a better Zimbabwe,
“Family Planning is an essential component for our positive economic growth. I do appreciate the diversity in our religious and cultural beliefs, I call upon all Zimbabweans to reflect and realize the importance of having planned families.
“According to the Ministry of Health’s survey, most people with unplanned families are living in dire poverty and most children born out of these couples are not going to school. If we seriously consider family planning, our resource base and consumption will stay at par and a strain on the economy will be relieved and our well being will improve in the process,” she emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Government donated USD$8 million to Population Services Zimbabwe to help improve their services and quality of products.
Over the last three decades, Zimbabwe has managed to double its modern contraceptives prevalence rate from 38% in 1984 to 67% in 2014 through efforts of the government and other stakeholders.
