Christian Advocacy for Family Planning in Africa

Overall, family planning (FP) worldwide is insufficiently resourced, including to faith-based organizations, with the highest unmet need for family planning in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In SSA 85-90% of people identify religion as “very important” in their lives, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life released in April 2010. FBOs are important providers of health services, especially for rural, remote and marginalized populations, sometimes as the sole source of health care. Faith-based organizations (FBOs), together with religious leaders, are influential voices with policymakers and their grassroots constituencies. FBOs provide approximately 40% of health care in Kenya and 30% in Zambia. This presentation will describe the baseline country assessments conducted in Kenya and Zambia with Christian Health Associations and their member health clinics and hospitals. These country assessments also include faith-based drug supply organizations (DSOs) that provide health care commodities to FBOs. Results from the assessments will be described, such as identified policy barriers within each country to family planning, and barriers within the groups participating towards family planning. This presentation will also highlight the overall country landscaping of previous advocacy efforts and how these groups partnered with others to build off existing landscaping work. Finally, the advocacy program plan that was developed to move members of these Christian organizations forward in advocating for family planning in Kenya and Zambia, challenges, and next steps will be shared.