The Sunday Mail
THE uptake of contraception in married and unmarried women has increased 14 and 25 percent respectively in the past year.
According to preliminary findings in the latest Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (2015), the prevalence of modern contraceptive methods among married women has increased from 57,3 percent to 65,6 percent.
“(There is) a 14 percent increase in the use of modern contraceptive methods among married women and a 25 percent increase among married young girls (15-19 years),” reads the report.
Health and Child Care Ministry family health director Dr Bernard Madzima said: “The latest results are in line with what we vowed to achieve during the 2012 London Summit where contraceptive prevalence rate target was set at 70 percent.
“Prevalence rate increase is as a result of the Government’s commitment to training health workers on contraceptive administration; increase in awareness campaigns and also increasing the number of contraception methods available to women.”
Among contraceptive methods available is the pill, implants, long acting methods (LAM), intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), condoms, injections, female sterilisation and traditional methods. Zimbabwe’s contraceptive prevalence rate is among the highest in Africa south of the Sahara, where rates range from one to 60 percent.
According to the World Bank, contraceptive use in Zambia is 49 percent, 56 percent in Namibia, 58 percent in Kenya, 59 percent in Malawi and 60 percent in Lesotho – all well below Zimbabwe.
The pill (49 percent) is the most preferred method in Zimbabwe compared to other methods (implants and injectables 9,6 percent each, LAMs and condoms 3,9 percent each, female sterilisation 1,1 percent, traditional methods 0,9 percent, and IUCDs 0,6 percent).
Use of implants has more than doubled in the past five years from 2,7 percent in 2010 to 9,6 percent in 2015. Dr Madzima said Government was concerned at the reluctance to use methods other than the pill.
“We are concerned about the poor method mix which translates to the unavailability of resources; lack of confidence among health workers to insert jadelle or loop and women not being familiar about other methods at their disposal,” he said.
However, 33,5 percent of women are currently not using any contraception.
Mr Richard Hondo – a physio-neurologist – is skeptical about use of modern contraceptive methods.
“It is a saddening development that as a country we continue to promote the use of contraceptives that harm our daughters, wives, sisters and aunts sidelining safe methods used by our fore parents since time immemorial,” said Mr Hondo.
“Usage of most contraceptive methods with the exception of condoms is too high a price for someone to pay. Why is it too hard to abstain for just four days per month?”
Mr Hondo, along with Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede, is known for advancing natural family planning methods where couples abstain during higher fertility days.
The country is on track to achieve the 2020 target of 70 percent contraception use.
