Media groups in Rwanda have been urged to play a leading role in sensitizing residents on family planning in order to promote the government’s strategies of reducing high birth rates. The call was made by Emile Sempebwa, an IntraHealth Twubakane official during a meeting with various journalists on Tuesday. Twubakane, the Kinyarwanda word meaning “Let’s build together,” unites many partners—the Government of Rwanda, USAID, non-governmental organizations, health care providers and communities. Twubakane project officials also highlighted the main activities of the project in the last five years and launched the Hewlett Foundation project which will run for 18months. The media was asked to participate in documenting Rwanda’s success and promising practices in family planning. Sempebwa said that without the media, all the Twubakane programs wouldn’t reach out to the direct beneficiaries. He also noted that there has been progress in other activities of strengthening the capacity of local governments and communities to support improved health service delivery at decentralized levels. The issue of family planning took centre stage as most of the journalist noted that there was need to collaborate with health counsellors at the grass roots in order to have Rwandans access family planning services. Twubakane said that family planning is a crosscutting issue and there was need to have the media, all ministries, and religious groups own the problems before hand. Launched in 2005, the Twubakane Decentralization and Health Program supports the government in addressing the many challenges it faces in meeting the growing population’s priority health are needs in 12 of Rwanda’s 30 districts. Ends
