MPs call for integrated approach to family planning
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Health Caucus Juliana Lunguzi and Member of Parliament for Blantyre Bangwe Constituency Davie Kadzinja have urged government to consider establishing a national population council for coordinated efforts in achieving the Family Planning 2020 goals set in London in 2012.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday— the closing day of the International Family Planning Conference (ICFP) in Indonesia, whose theme is ‘Global Commitments, Local Actions’—Lunguzi said a population council would ensure data from different sectors such as economic, health, environment, gender and youth
education is put together for integrated work towards meeting family planning targets which, she said, are a critical link to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Malawi has shown commitment to the [targets set at the London Summit of Family Planning] and we are doing well in many areas. But where we see the gap is the local commitment in certain critical areas, such as the provision of youth friendly services in our health facilities,” said Lunguzi.
She added: “The countries that have made strides in family planning such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Kenya, have a population council. Malawi has everything, but we lack leadership and action, hence the need for a population council.”
Lunguzi said population and reproduction health cannot be the responsibility of one ministry, saying the programme needs to be multisectoral.
In his remarks, Kadzinja said investing in youth and involving men in the family planning agenda is key if government is to achieve its population goals.
“Most family planning messages are being targeted towards women, which makes it seem like it is a women’s problem. But population is everyone’s problem. Men and youths also need to be actively involved,” said Kadzinja.
At the 2012 London Summit of Family Planning, government made several commitments, most of which have been fulfilled, such as raising the legal marriage age from 15 to 18, approve the National Population Policy, having a line budget for reproductive health and raising the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) to 60 percent, with a specific target on youth aged between 15-24.
While most of the commitments have been fulfilled, the country’s CPR remains low at, and the total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is likely to have in her childbearing age, a 5.7 high. In addition, youth continue to face challenges in accessing reproductive health services in Malawi.
The United Nations has warned that if Malawi does not lower its TFR, its population is projected to exceed 29 million in 2030, and reach 45 million in 2050, thereby putting a strain on natural resources and the economy.
The MPs said high population growth is impacting negatively the country’s environmental, health and economic sectors, and that for the country to make progress, every Malawian needs to understand and own this challenge.
