KIREHE - Resident’s  use of family planning services in Kirehe district has increased to 38 percent up from 26 percent last year.

According to Caste Habiyakare, officer  in charge of family planning and reproductive health in the district, hospital attributes this  upward trend to massive awareness campaigns carried out.

Speaking to The New Times, yesterday, Habiyakare said all family planning methods have been embraced, including male vasectomy.

"People understand the importance of producing children they can adequately take care of. They have embraced all methods, including vasectomy. Our target is to reach 48 percent by the end of the year,” he said.

Isaiah Nsabimana, who is a practising pharmacist said that the district has stored enough contraceptives to sustain the awareness campaigns.

He however, noted that equipping different pharmacy assistants with the required knowledge and skills to dispense the contraceptives has been a challenge.

"The main challenge is lack of qualified staff to dispense the contraceptives…this is the challenge. Drugs must be kept in right temperatures, away from dust for instance , to be effective,” he said.

Kirehe district vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Bernadette Kamungu said that local leaders will continue to sensitize families on the importance of family planning.

She appealed to opinion leaders, teachers and religious leaders to join in the sensitization campaigns geared towards family planning.

"Family planning must be embedded in whatever we do as leaders…and indeed we have done a great job. Since it is the basis of our development, we shall not tire to increase awareness amongst our population,” she said.

The new approach of involving men in family planning programs is said to be behind the success story in Kirehe.

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