Reflections on Kenya's progress on contraceptives

As Kenya joins the globe in marking World Contraception Day it is a fitting moment to reflect on the mission of the day to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and to empower people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health.

Kenya has made remarkable progress in family planning and reproductive health over the past three decades. The country’s total fertility rate has steadily declined from 6.7 births per woman in 1989 to 3.9, and more recently to an average of three children per woman, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS 2014/2022).

This achievement has been supported by an increase in the percentage of married women of reproductive age using at least one modern contraceptive method from 53 percent in 2014 to 57 percent in 2022.

Equally significant is the decline in the number of women who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception. This figure has dropped from 35 percent in 1993 to just 14 per cent in 2022.

Access to contraception supports the fundamental human right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of children. It also provides significant health benefits by preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing related health risks.

Today, demand for family planning remains strong, with 76 per cent of married women and 89 percent of sexually active unmarried women seeking services.

Encouragingly, teenage pregnancies have also declined, from 18 percent to 15 percent. Beyond maternal health, contraceptive use has been shown to reduce childhood deaths by up to 10 percent, underscoring its critical role in saving lives and improving health outcomes for women and children alike.

Recent findings from a National Study on the Incidence of Induced Abortions and the Severity of Abortion-related Complications in Kenya revealed that regions with the highest unintended pregnancy rates also recorded the highest induced abortion rates. This highlights the urgent need to prevent unintended pregnancies and promote wider use of family planning, particularly modern contraceptive methods, to reduce unsafe abortions.

Looking ahead, for Kenya to attain its 2030 family planning commitments, including eliminating the unmet need for contraception, increasing the percentage of married women using modern methods, and reducing adolescent pregnancies, stakeholders and the government must work together.

This requires securing sustainable financing for family planning commodities urgently and designating them as strategic health commodities, eligible for predictable funding in the wake of uncertainty in the donor landscape. As UNFPA rightly puts it, we should envision a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

-The writer is Senior Program Officer at International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya