Forum discusses road map for repositioning family planning in Ghana

The Lack of political will,   the desire of communities to increase their population to meet requirements for the creation of districts and  lack of donor interest in funding family planning have militated against family planning education campaign in Ghana.

These were identified by stakeholders at a meeting on Thursday to discuss the road map for repositioning family planning in Ghana at Wa, the Upper West Regional capital.

Mr. Mark Azaago Abugnaba, the Regional Population Officer, said there was a wide gap between the knowledge of family planning and its use for a very long time.

He said family planning was not being emphasized currently as it used to be, and this has prompted the Government through the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service with technical and financial support from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and Pathfinder International to initiate a road map to reposition family planning in Ghana.

Mr. Abugnaba said the use of modern methods of family planning among married couples stood at 17 per cent nationwide, 21 per cent in the Upper West Region, 14 per cent in the Upper East Region and six per cent in the Northern Region, according to the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (2008 GDHS) report.

He said there was the need to step up the education on family planning for women.

Mr. Abugnaba said this would help improve on the health of women and their family planning acceptance rate and the use of contraceptives.

He said It would also help in reducing maternal and infant mortality rate in the country, reduction in women’s fertility rate which would help reduce the population growth rate of the country.

The stakeholders resolved to collaborate effectively to develop proposals to source for funding to embark on vigorous family planning education campaign in the Upper West Region.

Source: GNA