Encouraging results registered in expansion of family planning services

Addis Ababa, March 6, 2013 (WIC) - Successful results have been registered in the efforts to expand family planning services during the last ten years, the Ministry of Health said.

Speaking at the 21st annual conference of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) held in Addis Ababa on Monday, Health State Minister, Dr. Kebede Worku said family planning service coverage has grown at present to 29 percent from six percent ten years ago.

Dr. Kebede said contraceptive prevalence rates would hit 65 percent by 2015 through reaching additional women and adolescent girls within the next three years.

He said the government has been implementing a comprehensive health system strengthening approach to address critical public health challenges and to improve overall health services.

The progress already achieved in building up health systems and improving health outcomes over the last two decades provides a stronger footing for scaling up access to family planning, Dr. Kebede said.

According to ENA, President of African Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology and ESOG, Dr. Yirgu Gebrehiwot for his part said the Ministry in collaboration with ESOG has enabled 22,000 women to access lifesaving surgical procedures.

However, a lot remains to be done in introducing family planning services among the rural community, Dr. Yirgu said.