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Contraceptives will soon be available at your next-door pharmacy, thanks to efforts by the Ministry of Health and its partners to boost family planning services.

Scores of community pharmacists have been trained on quality contraceptives and administration of modern methods.

In June this year, the Ministry, with the support of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya and Jhpiego — an international, non-profit health firm — assembled a number of pharmacists in Kwale for a skills training forum.

The seminar on expanded access and choice of contraceptives was informed by a recent increase in family planning methods, with a slight stock-out exposing many women to unintended pregnancies.

This programme, which started in 2018, was accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic when the country saw a spike in unintended pregnancies.

“It is a fact that 10 per cent of clients seeking family planning services, according to the Kenya Health Demographic Survey (KDHS), obtain their method of choice from pharmacies,” said Issak Bashir, head of the Department of Family Health at the Ministry of Health. “There has been an increase in contraceptive prevalence for all methods among currently married women,” he said at the seminar.

In 2018, Kenya revised its  family planning goals to 58 per cent by 2020, 66 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2050.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, condoms and emergency pills ( P2), were the most highly sought contraceptives. They were readily available at pharmacies. The P2 is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, while the condom is used during intercourse.

When Kenya introduced strict measures to contain Covid-19 in April 2020 — including movement restrictions and closure of schools — accessing sexual and reproductive health services became difficult. This led to a rise in unintended pregnancies.

The revised targets follow the KDHS’ findings which indicate that family planning among married women improved from 39 per cent in 2008–2009 to 53 per cent in 2014.

With this, the country surpassed its 2015 target of 52 per cent. Also, Kenya is likely to achieve its 2020 target of 58 per cent by 2018.

“In other words, the actual growth in modern contraceptive use was more rapid than the projections, including those of the 2012 Population Policy for National Development,” said Dr Kibaru-Mbae.

Credit also goes to the government’s use of community workers to promote contraceptives,” said Joel Gondi, head of reproductive health services unit at the Ministry of Health.

A spot check at chemists in eastern Nairobi showed clusters of young people seeking contraceptives and condoms. Some proprietors took the opportunity to make quick money, while others sensitised the clients on STIs and family planning.

Demographers estimate that CPR grows by about two per cent annually, based on historical trends.

“The main reasons behind the increase in uptake of family planning in the country is increased awareness and education to the public on use of contraceptives.

Also the government’s efforts of the use of community health workers to promote use of contraceptives,” said Joel Gondi, head of the reproductive and maternal health services unit at the Ministry of Health.

Mr Gondi said that more married women use modern family planning methods especially the injectable than traditional methods.

A spot check at some chemists in the eastern Nairobi reveals that young people thronged the chemists for the commodities. And a slight shortage could leave so many people acutely exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies.

For some of the proprietors of these outlets, it was an opportunity to make quick money, while others saw a window to sensitise clients on STIs and family planning.

“About two years ago, I was lucky to have been selected to attend a small training by the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya after which, I gained some little skills, but quite important while dealing with clients who came to the pharmacy,” Mark Midimu, the founder of Moments Pharmacy in Umoja 2 told PD Online.

He is one of the pharm technologists who saw an opportunity to enhance awareness on family planning services and STIs beyond just selling the contraceptives.

“As family planning is concerned, we have not been giving much to the clients in terms of information,” Midimu said. He pointed out that before he used to just sell over the counter without seeking to know more from the client.

“But since I went through the training and got more information about consultation; knowing more about I have created a room for that purpose,” he noted.