Obama policy change benefits family planning

After years of minimum funding to family planning and reproductive health services, the United States Agency for International Development (USaid) recently announced a major increase in funds for family planning and reproductive health activities in Kenya.

According to a recent statement from the aid agency, the amount Kenya gets for family planning and reproductive health is set to almost double from Sh800 million two years ago to more than Sh1.4 billion, an increase of more than Sh600 million.

Family health service providers believe the increased funding will go a long way in sensitising Kenyans on the importance of family planning.

The new funding supports Kenya’s efforts to increase access to quality health care. The funds will be used to improve the health of women — both during and after their pregnancies — and expands USaid’s three decades of family planning assistance to Kenya.

“This new funding represents President Obama’s commitment to improving access to vital health services for millions of Kenyans,” said Dr Scott Radloff, director of USaid’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health.

Upon taking office, Mr Obama rescinded previous decisions from the Bush era that had initially drastically reduced US funding to family planning projects in developing countries.

Among the policies he rescinded was the Mexico City Policy that required all non-governmental organisations receiving federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services as a method of family planning.

The policy was in place from 1984 through January 1993 when then US president Bill Clinton ended it. However, President George W. Bush revived the policy when he took office in 2001.

Dr Radloff said the Obama administration had followed this policy decision with a number of positive actions that will be felt in many countries, including Kenya.

He said one of every four Kenyan women who want to space or limit births are not using family planning because they cannot access the services.

“The additional funds will make these services available to those women,” Dr Radloff said. According to the USaid statement, the additional funds will be used to provide a wide choice of products from which women can choose the family planning method that best suits them.

“In the long run, through the availability of family planning methods, Kenya will be able to reduce the number of abortions that occur, improve women’s opportunities, enable small families to invest in their children and to reduce the impact that population growth will have on the environment and the economy,” the statement said.