Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has assured clients in Manicaland that they have adequate contraceptive stocks to meet provincial needs regardless of the recent withdrawal of funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Speaking on the sidelines of a Family Planning and Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health meeting held last week, ZNFPC marketing and communication manager, Mr Daniel Maromo said there is no need for panic.
He said Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care and parastatals like ZNFPC, has committed to bridge gaps left by the withdrawal of funding by USAID.
USAID funding withdrawal impacted several programmes in the province, including the DREAMS programme under FACT, which primarily targeted young girls and women, as well as other USAID-funded initiatives.
“Some of our partners, such as Population Solutions for Health (PSH), Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ), and Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), have scaled down some of their activities due to funding withdrawal.
“However, this does not mean that services are unavailable. Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care and ZNFPC, remain committed to providing family planning services,” said Mr Maromo.
He reassured the province that stocks of condoms and other contraceptive methods remain sufficient to meet the demand.
“We want to assure the population of Manicaland that we have enough contraceptives, including adequate supply of condoms. Government is prepared to bridge the gap to ensure continuous access to these essential services,” he said, adding that despite challenges presented by the funding withdrawal, ZNFPC and its partners remain committed to ensure uninterrupted family planning services in the province.
“With Government’s commitment and support from stakeholders, Manicaland remains on track to maintain access to essential family planning services, ensuring that communities, especially women and young people, continue to receive the reproductive health support they need,” he said.
The meeting, which was attended by family planning and sexual reproductive health players, also addressed concerns about accessibility to critical reproductive health services in light of the changes affecting some organisations.
Mr Maromo urged the community to take advantage of available services at health centres, including ZNFPC clinics, that continue to offer family planning and reproductive health care.
“We encourage the public to visit their nearest health facilities for family planning services, including access to contraceptives and cancer screening, including ZNFPC clinics. These facilities are available because Government continues to prioritise sexual and reproductive health as part of efforts to enhance overall public health outcomes.
“As a province, we are also calling on our partners to extend their reach, particularly to hard-to-reach areas, where access to contraceptive services remains a challenge. No one should be left behind. It is imperative that we work towards increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate, while also addressing the unmet need for family planning services,” he said.
Mr Maromo said there is need to improve contraceptive accessibility and awareness, particularly among young people and those in rural communities.
“We must ensure that teenagers and young adults have access to accurate information about contraceptives and reproductive health services.
The reduction of teenage pregnancies is a key goal, and this can only be achieved if we continue engaging with young people and addressing their needs effectively,” he said.
It was also raised during the meeting that there is an alarmingly low uptake of female condoms in the province, despite their availability. It was argued that while male condoms remain widely used, female condoms have not gained same level of acceptance among women.
Health officials highlighted the need for further research to understand the barriers to female condom use as well as implementing targeted awareness campaigns to encourage its adoption in Manicaland.
Online Reporter