Kenya has averted two million unintended pregnancies since 2012 in a move by the government to control the ballooning population.
Dr Josephine Kibaru-Mbae, director general of the National Council for Population and Development, said this was achieved by putting 1.7 million more women on modern contraceptives.
“This means we also averted the complications that go with unplanned pregnancies, like unsafe abortions and maternal mortality,” Kibaru said.
In total, 5.6 million Kenyan women of reproductive health age (15-49 years) are currently on modern family planning methods.
Kenya’s current population of 50 million people is projected to reach 95 million in 2050 and 142 million in 2100, according to projections released by the United Nations last year.
Nairobi –currently with four million residents – is projected will have 14 million people in 2050 and 46 million in 2100, according to the Toronto-based Global Cities Institute.
Kibaru said Kenya requires at least Sh2.3 billion to buy family planning products every year. Currently, the government provides Sh1.9 billion while donors bridge the difference.
“For sustainability, Kenya is moving family planning services to the National Hospital Insurance Fund,” she said at the ongoing International Family Planning Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
She challenged county governments to allocate funds to family planning to reduce the burden on central government.
The efforts will ensure the population growth does not outpace economic development.
Kenya is racing against time to reap a demographic dividend, where people live longer and have smaller families.