乐鱼 体育

鈥淲hen you enable a family to be able to time and space their children, you actually improve the overall health of that family,鈥� said Dr. Alma Golden, the Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID鈥檚 Bureau for Global Health, at a recent 乐鱼 体育 event on the role of faith-based organizations in family planning. are an 鈥渋rreplaceable asset,鈥� said Dr. Golden, when it comes to fighting stigma and marginalization and promoting positive health behaviors.

What Is Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies?

Evidence shows that delaying, timing, and spacing pregnancies leads to the healthiest outcomes for women, their newborns, and their families.  This approach鈥攌nown as 鈥溾�濃�攊ncludes the use of modern contraceptives, as well as natural family planning and fertility awareness methods.

鈥淲e are all more and more aware, every year, of how critical the first 鈥� are during the pregnancy and the first two years of life for a child,鈥� said Dr. Golden. Space between pregnancies , gives the child enough time to develop, and makes it possible for the mother to exclusively breastfeed the child. For the mother, delaying first pregnancy until the age of 18 and increasing space between pregnancies is key to positive health outcomes.

Focusing on timing and spacing helps healthcare workers 鈥渆ngage conservative populations, and have a better conversation with mothers and families to talk about the wellbeing of the child and themselves,鈥� said Dennis Cherian of . 鈥淚t resonates well with faith leaders and the faith community,鈥� because it is aimed at improving the health of mothers and their babies.

Faith-Based Involvement in Family Planning

鈥淚ncreasing people鈥檚 ability to improve their lives through healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies requires鈥攊t doesn鈥檛 just slightly benefit from鈥攑artnerships with faith-based organizations and faith leaders,鈥� said Victoria Jennings from the .

Faith-based organizations have played an important and historic role in promoting the health of communities. 鈥淚n many African countries, church-based health facilities鈥rovide a significant percentage of healthcare services,鈥� said Jennings, 鈥渂ut family planning is often lacking.鈥�  

By working together with , family planning providers can inspire ministries of health to collaborate, increase access to , improve communication between couples, and engage men. 鈥淲hen faith-based organizations are involved in family planning, uptake increases,鈥� said Jennings.

鈥淔aith leaders are able to deal with the barriers that prevent women from accessing contraceptives,鈥� said Dr. Margaret Njenga of World Vision, Kenya, in a video screened at the event. World Vision鈥檚 鈥溾�� program 鈥渦ses faith leaders and faith groups to address local health-related issues, advocate against harmful practices, and advocate for quality services,鈥� said Dr. Alfonso Rosales of World Vision U.S.

First launched to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis, the program has grown to include sexual and reproductive health messages. An evaluation of Channels of Hope programs in Northern Ghana and Western Kenya showed that the uptake of contraceptives increased significantly in surveyed communities after Muslim and Christian faith leaders adopted family planning messages, said Dr. Rosales.

Faith-based groups are also embracing new technologies and innovations. Following the launch of Dot, a that aims to help women avoid unintended pregnancy through fertility awareness, 鈥渇aith organizations were the first ones to step up and say, 鈥楬ow can we support this?鈥欌�� said Jennings. 鈥淚 know that we will be relying on these partnerships going forward,鈥� she said.

In Senegal, (PRB) has piloted innovative on family planning with faith leaders. 鈥淲e developed the presentation to support Senegal鈥檚 ongoing efforts to significantly reduce its maternal and child mortality rates through reproductive health and family planning strategies,鈥� said Jeff Jordan, PRB鈥檚 President and CEO.

鈥淲e found that the ENGAGE approach has also been particularly effective in the faith community,鈥� said Jordan, 鈥渋t helps to bring faith leaders in as family planning champions.鈥�

The Future of Healthy Timing and Spacing

Christianity and Islam both support the health of the mother. However, there are still 鈥渁 lot of misperceptions. Dialogue is how we move forward,鈥� said Jennings. Whether we are talking about modern contraceptives, or natural family planning and fertility awareness, messages related to family planning must 鈥渃ome from within the community,鈥� said Jennings.

And while there are many opportunities for collaboration and partnership, there are also areas of tension, including 鈥渁bortion, access to family planning among unmarried youth, and disapproval of some family planning methods,鈥� said Jennings. The challenge is in finding common ground, and effectively communicating in collaboration with faith leaders.

鈥淔aith communities can help bridge tensions in a way that no one else can,鈥� said Beth Schlachter, Executive Director of . 鈥淲e鈥檙e working around the world with鈥攁nd among and for鈥攃ommunities of faith, and so respect for their values鈥as to be paramount in our approach. We see faith partners as champions, as community leaders, as service providers, and as clients themselves and the very people we seek to serve.鈥�

Written by Yuval Cohen and edited by Meaghan Parker.