ZIMBABWE:Youth friendly Family planning pays off

April 2013 TheHerald Online; Zimbabwe’s youth-friendly family planning initiative in nursing schools is a masterpiece other countries should tap into, an East, Central and Southern Africa-Health Community official has said. Speaking at a meeting to review progress made so far and possible ways of scaling up programmes in Harare, family and reproductive health manager with ECSA-HC Dr Odongo Odiyo described Zimbabwe’s initiative as the best practice which every country should tap into.

The programme, which started four years ago at Parirenyatwa School of Nursing, is aimed at making family planning services available to all nursing students.
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals principal tutor Mrs Regina Kanyemba said since the beginning of the year only one student fell pregnant during the course of training, a clear indication that the programme was making an impact. Mrs Kanyemba said they were now looking forward to extending the programme to other colleges in the country as a way of reducing the number of students who fall pregnant while still at school.

Previously family planning services were not available at training institutions, instead students would get them just like any other women from clinics or pharmacies.
The ECSA-HC meeting which started on Monday is expected to run until Friday. Officially opening the meeting, acting secretary for Health and Child Welfare Dr Gibson Mhlanga urged member states to share best practice for the betterment of the health community.

In  a speech read on his behalf by the director of nursing services Mrs Cynthia Chasokela, Dr Mhlanga said the meeting provided an ideal platform for sharing of ideas on best practice.
Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Lesotho are participating at the meeting while Zambia and Kenya are also expected to take part.

 

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