BUBANZA, October 10th (ABP) – The low rate of adherence to family planning is a sad reality in Bubanza province (North-West), and one of the causes of population growth. This causes a lot of harmful consequences in society, as revealed during the workshop on the development of political advocacy strategies on reproductive sexual health, which was organized by the local NGO “Twitezimbere”, from October 5 to 6, in Bubanza province.
The participants in that meeting raised many consequences, among other things, the scarcity of arable land, land conflicts, excessive numbers in schools, poverty which results in street children and others, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
Data from the Provincial Health Office show that in 2022, the adherence rate to modern contraceptive methods was 28.5% in the Mpanda health district, and 16.2% in the Bubanza health district. The causes of such a lack of enthusiasm result from the lack of correct information, which leads to rumors against these modern contraceptive methods, the divergence between spouses, faith beliefs which remain against these methods, Burundian habits and customs which make sex remain taboo, the insufficiency of youth-friendly health centers as well as ignorance.
The chief of staff in the office of the governor of the Bubanza province, Jean Bosco Nduwimana, as well as the representative of the local NGO Twitezimbere, Dr. Annick Gahimbare, pleaded for the establishment of a specific law on family planning, which would set the number of children per household. They called on all stakeholders to raise awareness among the people about the harmful consequences of demographic pressure, and about the merits of using those modern contraceptive methods. The chief of staff in the office of the governor of Bubanza promised the involvement of the administration, so that this rate of adherence to contraceptive methods increases.