‘Make Family Planning Services Free For Women’

An international advocate for reproductive health, Prof Fred Sai, has advocated that all forms of family planning should be made free for women across the country.

He, therefore, called on the government to develop strategies that would allow women to easily access family planning methods.

According to him, the population of the country currently outstripped its development, therefore there was the need to make it easier for women to access family planning methods.

Speaking at a reception to celebrate the 65th anniversary celebration of the Population Council, he said family planning was crucial in the development of a country, thus resources used in championing the cause was not a wasted investment.

“We cannot say we are giving women equal right when we cannot make contraceptives available to women. Giving them easy access to contraceptive was a great step to improving the productive health system in the country,” he added.

He thanked the Population Council for its leadership and collaboration with the health sector to improve on reproductive health in the country.

Population Council

The Country Director of the Population Council, Dr Placide Tapsoba, said the Population Council conducted research to address critical health and development issues, while delivering evidence-based solutions to improve lives around the world.

The Council, he stated, had also worked towards helping couples plan their families and providing access to life-saving HIV services.

It also undertakes programmes to empower girls to protect themselves and have a say in their own lives.

Contraceptives

For her part, the Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Gloria Quansah Asare, said there had been a substantial increase in the use of Implants based on the adoption of evidence-based solutions from the Population Council.

She said some achievement on abortion care has also been made in the country, through the implementation of a strategic plan and a study conducted in 2007.

“Although we have improved in abortion care in the country, there is a lot to be done,’ she said.

Alumni

As part of its anniversary, the Population Council launched the Alumni Impact Network to foster a community of the many experts among the current and former staff of the council.

The event was attended by current and former staff of the Population Council and graced by the Founding Father of the Council, Dr Ayorinde Ajayi.

Sharing some successes chalked up by the Population Council, the participants indicated that there had been a tremendous increase in the use of contraceptives, particularly by women in the rural areas.

They added that this had improved the living conditions of rural women and helped them plan their lives.

Source: Graphic