During a community gatekeepers dissemination workshop in Kapenguria, Performance Monitoring Action member Waithaka Michael highlighted that the contraceptive use among the married women has increased from 21% in 2016 to 26% in 2021.
“We have been here since 2016 and we have been trying to track some of the key issues in health including family planning, we have issues with adolescent and violence against women and girls and from the results that we have just disseminated we have seen that there has been a tremendous increase in the use of family planning or contraceptive methods in West Pokot, looking at where we were in 2014….” Michael Waithaka, member of Performance Monitoring Action Michael Waithaka gave the report.
About sexuality, Waithaka said that 8 in every 10 adolescent girls are sexually active. Majority however stay away from using contraceptive to prevent pregnancy, that is approximately 6 out of 10.
“We have seen that 8 in every 10 adolescent girls are sexually active here in West Pokot and asking the during the last sex if they used a method of family planning or contraceptives or any other method to prevent pregnancy we have seen about 6 in every 10 or even 9 in every 10 never used a method to prevent pregnancy..” Waithaka said.
The report further reveals that 9 in every 10 women learn how to use contraceptives from public facilities and 4 out of 10 people undergo gender-based violence. The information is to help concerned stakeholders in decision making.
“We usually bring this survey information or report to the stakeholders that have a part to play in the field of family planning, gender and even violation and these data is used in terms of decision making.”
Kapenguria Assistant County commissioner Ruth Wachira called on the youth led organizations, women groups, civil societies and the media to help sensitize the communities in remote areas on the vices.
By Calvin Angatia
