MSI country director Walter Obita, when Maristopes International (MSI) commemorated its 40 years of service in Kenya. Proto/HANDOUTKenya
has been challenged to conduct local research on sexual reproductive health
rights to be able to come up with homegrown solutions.
The
International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics president, Prof Anne Kihara, said Kenya is lagging in implementing many SRHR policies due to a lack of data.
She
said it is unfortunate that countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia have
overtaken Kenya and have better SRHR policies.
“I
want to stress that local data is very important. Unfortunately, Kenya is not
doing a lot of research on SRHR, and that is where we are going wrong,” Kihara
said.
“Rwanda
is doing a very good job in implementing some of the international treaties it
has ratified because of the comprehensive research work it has conducted on the
issue.”
Prof Kihara (pictured) spoke when Maristopes International (MSI) commemorated its 40 years of
service in Kenya.
“I
want to tell Maristopes that 40 is the age of maturity, and they should not slow
down on their work despite the many challenges. Many SRHR wins Kenya has had are
because of the work you do,” she said.
Early
this month, Rwanda lawmakers passed a bill that lowered the legal age to access
contraceptives from 18 to 15 without parental consent.
The
move seeks to lower the high number of teenage pregnancies.
The
legislation allows teens to access the pill and implants, but lawmakers
insisted that condoms should be prioritised.
Last
year, the country recorded 22,000 unintended teen pregnancies, a number regarded
as the country’s highest.
Moyale
MP Guyo Jaldesa blamed religious indoctrination on the SRHR pushback Kenya is
experiencing.
“It
is unfortunate that our religious leaders keep telling us that it is a sin to
use contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies or that using contraceptives
will take you straight to hell,” he said.
Former
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha is on record saying she will not
allow contraceptives to be issued to underage girls.
“I
am Mama Kanisa’, we have to teach our adolescents to abstain, I believe that
with a firm Christian foundation, they will learn to abstain,” she said.
Jaldesa,
a gynaecologist and a member of the health committee, called for more education
advocacy to change the perceptions.
“We
need to ask ourselves, why is it that despite being one of the most religious
countries in East Africa, we are still experiencing many teenage pregnancies?”
he asked.
A
study released by Kenyatta University lecturer Eliphas Gitonga in 2023 says
many Somali women take contraceptives secretly due to cultural and religious
barriers.
It
says the women are not allowed to make decisions about their bodies without the
consent of the man.
According
to the research, women use the market and the salon as excuses to leave the
house to take contraceptives.
“Some
of these salon owners are also community health volunteers who are very
knowledgeable on contraceptives,” the research says.
“These
salonists mostly provide oral contraceptives for the women, who are afraid of
keeping them in their homes.”
MSI
country director Walter Obita urged the government to eliminate barriers that
hinder adolescents and young people from accessing contraceptives and increase
domestic funding.
“Together, we look ahead to a future where
every Kenyan, regardless of where they live, can access the reproductive health
services,” he said.
MSI,
which started operations in Kenya in 1985 with a clinic in Nairobi’s Pangani area, has expanded to more than 500
service points – some in public and private hospitals.