Donors join family planning drive

By Roselyne Obala

The international community has pledged Sh400 billion to family planning programme that will run for the next eight years.

Other countries from Africa and Asia will also benefit from the programme.

Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya, who represented President Kibaki during the just-concluded summit on family planning in London, lauded the initiative saying it came at the right time for the country.

“Kenya is very lucky. We launched our family planning programme last year and therefore the initiative will go a long way in sensitising the public,” he said.

Mr Oparanya who spoke to The Standard on phone upon his return from the UK, said the meeting’s focus was decentralisation of family planning programmes.

Countries that will benefit from the initiative must show commitment in family planning programmes and educating the people on contraceptives.

Oparanya noted that the biggest pledges came from the top three – the Gates Foundation Sh 44billion, UK Government Sh40billion, and UNFPA Sh10 billion.

He said the resolution by the donor community was that they countries who benefit must show commitment in implantation of Family planning programmes and educating the people on the importance of contraceptives.

The minister said UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Presidents Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Zambia Vice president Guy Scott and Burkina Faso First Lady Mrs Chantal Compaoré  were among others participated.

Others were ministers drawn from Asia and Africa.

Some of the key speakers at the conference included UK Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell, Melinda Gates and United Nations Fund for Population Activities Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin.

“Other donors like China pledged to avail contraceptives to be distributing to the developing countries,” Opanranya explained.