29 June 2009
Kampala — Monica Ogutu, the executive director K-Met says: "We still need cultural and religious leaders on board. Most view family planning with disdain because they have never felt the pressure of managing unplanned children themselves, especially Catholic fathers and nuns.
She notes that 50% of maternal hospital admissions in Kisumu are a result of botched abortions. "We have high maternal mortality of 1,000 deaths for every 100,000 live births, way up from the national prevalence of about 417. Cases of abortion are so many," she says.
Ogutu says they are getting lots of HIV-positive mothers presenting with post-abortion complications as health workers humiliate them by telling them to 'just stop having sex instead of family planning.'
"We also have cases of mad women being raped and ending up with bastard children. We sensitise communities, urging guardians to help them access family planning," Ogutu says. "The key to all these is family planning through integrating nutrition services."
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