Month: March 2017

Zimbabwean Senators Discourage Birth Control To Promote Investment

Zimbabwean senators recently caused a contentious debate, after supporting a motion discouraging Zimbabweans from embracing birth control because it has allegedly caused a low level of investment in the country. While moving the motion in the senate late last month, Mashonaland West Senator Mike Byton Musaka said there is a direct correlation between investment and low population,… Continue reading Zimbabwean Senators Discourage Birth Control To Promote Investment

New Web Resource: Rights-Based Family Planning

Rights-based family planning is an approach to developing and implementing programs that aims to fulfill the rights of all individuals to choose whether, when, and how many children to have; to act on those choices through high-quality sexual and reproductive health services, information, and education; and to access those services free from discrimination, coercion, and violence.

FP2020 statement on WHO guidance on hormonal contraception and HIV

Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) commends the World Health Organization (WHO) for continuing to closely monitor research and evidence and update guidance on hormonal contraception and HIV acquisition.   The WHO released new guidance March 2, 2017 stating that women at high risk of acquiring HIV can use progestogen-only injectables, but when considering use they should… Continue reading FP2020 statement on WHO guidance on hormonal contraception and HIV

Egypt suffers shortage of contraceptive pills

Egypt has been experiencing shortages in contraceptive pills which started to disappear from pharmacies and moved to the black market, official media sources have reported. In an interview with OnTV Live, Souad Abdel Magid, the Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning at the Health Ministry, has revealed that the main reason behind the… Continue reading Egypt suffers shortage of contraceptive pills

Family planning, women’s health, and the empowerment agenda

Every March 8, is International Women’s Day, marking a time in which to reflect upon and celebrate women’s progress on the emancipation and empowerment agenda. This year’s theme “Women in the changing world of work: Planet 50-50 by 2030” necessitates further reflection on some of the procreative considerations that impact women’s engagement in productive work.… Continue reading Family planning, women’s health, and the empowerment agenda

EALA Bill seeks to introduce contraceptives for children

A new East African Legislative Assembly Bill is seeking to introduce contraceptives for children in member states; days after the Ministry of Health disowned a policy proposing the same for children aged 10 to 19 years in Uganda. Once passed into a law, the Bill dubbed the “EAC Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Bill… Continue reading EALA Bill seeks to introduce contraceptives for children

Q&A: UNFPA’s Babatunde Osotimehin on family planning in the face of uncertainty

Last week’s “She Decides” conference drew 400 delegates, including 20 ministerial delegations, to Brussels to discuss the impact of the U.S. government’s “global gag rule” and to raise funds to help tackle the shortfall in family planning aid that has been created. The gag rule prevents non-U.S. nongovernmental organizations that provide services or information relating to abortion from receiving… Continue reading Q&A: UNFPA’s Babatunde Osotimehin on family planning in the face of uncertainty

Afrikids collaborate with GES and GHS to promote adolescent reproductive rights

Afrikids-Ghana, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), are collaborating to embark on adolescent health and reproductive rights promotion in the Binduri District in the Upper East Region. The move is aimed at educating the youth on their health rights and to drum home the need to access free and open… Continue reading Afrikids collaborate with GES and GHS to promote adolescent reproductive rights