Health
The Maasai Community has been challenged to embrace modern contraceptives as a way of effectively managing the number of children a family intends to have.
Head of Division, Reproductive and Maternal health in the Ministry of Health Dr. Edward Sarem emphasized that contraception is a choice of the individuals and families in need of contraception. He challenged families to embrace contraception saying there has been new innovations that significantly increased the contraception choice for the individual including an addition to self-administered products.
“The Ministry has availed a significant range of contraception method choices at health facilities and at the community level, where everyone is free to visit and get their favourable contraceptive,” he said. He spoke at Ole Ntimama stadium during the celebrations of World Contraception Day, 2024 saying the day aimed at enhancing awareness of contraceptives and their availability, accessibility and utilization across the country.
Dr. Sarem noted that the demand for family planning in Kenya has grown from 68 per cent in 1993 to 76 per cent in 2022. He underscored the need for contraceptives as early and unplanned pregnancies contribute to high levels of fertility saying rapid population increase could exacerbate the challenge of ensuring that future development is sustainable and inclusive.
Narok Chief Officer in Charge of Preventive and Promotive Services Ms. Lucy Kashu enjoys a Maasai dance during the celebrations of the World Contraception day at William Ole Ntimama stadium.
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“Achieving the sustainable development goals, particularly those related to health, education and gender equality, can contribute to sustainable population growth and increasing economic productivity and growth,” reiterated Dr. Serem. The government, he said, prioritizes primary health care hence the recruitment of Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who move from family to family educating the communities on health matters.
“At least ten CHPs should be linked to every health facility. They should give the communities the right health messages so that the community can be informed,” he said, adding that each CHP should visit at least 100 families. He demystified the myths that family planning causes one to be infertile saying all the methods used had been scientifically tested and proved to be very safe for human beings.
Narok Chief Officer in charge of Preventive and Promotive Services Ms. Lucy Kashu challenged the CHPs to promote Primary Health by consistently giving the community the right information and linking them to the nearest health facility to get all the services that they need.
She observed that family planning intake has increased from 14 per cent to 38 per cent in the county. Narok County has 1638 CHPs spread across the eight sub counties.