UNFPA urges govt to upscale campaigns encouraging women to make self-reproductive choices

The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) has argued the government to upscale campaigns encouraging women to make self-reproductive choices.

While launching the State of World Population Report 2023, the UNFPA Country Representative, Dr Mary Otieno, expressed the need for robust family planning investment to popularize reproductive health information.

She said the UNFPA State of the World Population Report identifies persistent challenges hindering the accessibility of reproductive health services among young people.

“We are taking the opportunity to underscore the need to move the conversation from numbers to rights, and choices and find solutions that benefit all people in a society, whether in a rapidly ageing or a high-fertility population,” she noted.

She further explained that the world population is radically shifting and certain demographic mega-trends are taking shape in different parts of the world, hence decision makers, policymakers, implementers and development partners need to radically rethink how they address the changing demographics.

Dr Jothan Musinguzi, the Director General of the National Population Council, noted that policymakers in government must emphasize investment towards transformative family planning approaches which are not exploitative to the female gender.

In his explanation, Musinguzi rectified that government stakeholders are still conducting consultations to develop a comprehensive reproductive health policy.

This policy targets the accessibility of family planning to school-going children.

The UNPFA World Population Report of 2023 reiterates that sexual reproductive health and rights are not only about reproduction but also development.

The report has been launched under the theme, “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices”