PPAZ calls on Government increased budgetary allocation to family planning programmes

The Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia has called for increased budgetary allocation to family planning programmes in the country.

PPAZ Executive Director Edford Mutuma said the Ministry of Finance should scale up its allocation to programmes aimed at increasing access to family planning in Zambia.

Mr Mutuma was speaking in Lusaka when PPAZ hosted a working lunch on family planning for officials from the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders.

In the 2014 budget, family planning programmes are have been provided for with allocations for the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health receiving a combined allocation of seven percent of the total budget.

Mr Mutuma proposed that Government increases spending on health and education budgets by 30 percent in line with regional and international protocols.

“Admittedly, the Zambian government has shown political commitment towards family planning but what we are asking for is Government translating these commitments into actual spend on family planning,” Mr Mutuma said.

“We need visible, frequent, consistent support from political leaders and we also need support within key government ministries for family planning programmes,” he said.

Mr Mutuma said there is need to translate sexual and reproductive health family planning commitments into action to achieve national health targets.

He said the Ministry of Health plays a key role in resource allocation to family planning service delivery in Zambia.

“Government is targeting to improve health system by working on the infrastructure and human resource and increasing contraceptive prevalence rate from 33 percent to above 70 percent which will result in manageable families to match the economic aspiration and empowered women,” he said.

“Targets such as reducing maternal mortality especially unintended abortions to half and lowering total fertility rate from 6.2 percent to lower than four percent will only be achieved by increasing government spending on family planning.”