CIBITOKE March 21st (ABP) – The ministry in charge of health, via its national program for reproductive health (PNSR), in collaboration with the non-profit organization “Twitezimbere”, organized March 20, in the capital of the Cibitoke province, a workshop of the multi-sectoral exchange group, for the evaluation of the rate of adherence to family planning (FP), communicating the challenges and agreeing on possible solutions.
For the socio-cultural advisor to the governor of Cibitoke province, Jeanne Marie Icitegetse, the government’s objective in 2025 is a maximum of three children per woman, while ISTEEBU surveys in 2017 showed that on average each woman in Cibitoke province has six children.
Thus, it is up to the multi-sector group supported by the province’s partners to do everything to ensure that the population changes their behaviour and adheres to sexual reproductive health (SRH) in general and family planning in particular.
To achieve this, the governor’s advisor urged the participants in the exchange meeting to widely disseminate what they learn, and especially to the young people who are most concerned.
She challenged all members of the group to become aware of their contribution to raising awareness about family planning, and to take up the challenges to consider together what needs to be done to achieve the objective on the horizon. 2025.
For the representative of the provincial health office (BPS) in Cibitoke, Jackson Niyongabo, the purpose of the meeting was to communicate the situation in relation to SRH and FP, what are the challenges and what strategies and recommendations to overcome or circumvent challenges, in order to progress. The same head of BPS Cibitoke reported that the adherence rate (all methods combined) for FP is estimated at nearly 25%, while for modern contraceptive methods, the adherence rate is 20%.
He listed quite a few challenges facing Cibitoke province including, strong population growth which is putting great pressure on scarce resources; a migratory movement of the population in search of work, low attendance at youth-friendly health centers (CDSAJ), the low rate of adherence to contraceptive methods and others.
Nevertheless, he revealed that the province has assets, such as the administration aware of the problem of reproductive health (SR), the existence of 48 CDSAJ with an objective of continuing to increase them gradually, competent and aware human resources, products sufficient contraceptives, and others. He also spoke about the solutions envisaged such as raising community awareness about behaviour change, strengthening intersectoral partnership and continuing to advocate for increasing CDSAJ.
Strategies and recommendations were agreed between participants, who committed to being more active from now on than before.