{"id":5723,"date":"2021-09-21T19:45:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T19:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmtraining.org\/engaging-faith-based-organizations-in-family-planning-advocacy\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T12:48:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T12:48:39","slug":"engaging-faith-based-organizations-in-family-planning-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmtraining.org\/fr\/engaging-faith-based-organizations-in-family-planning-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging Faith-Based Organizations in Family Planning Advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Faith-based organizations (FBOs) and faith institutions are often perceived as not supporting family planning (FP). However, FBOs have publicly shown support for FP for some time. In 2011, more than 200 religious institutions and FBOs endorsed the Interfaith Declaration to Improve Family Health and Wellbeing<\/strong>. More recently, studies<\/a> show that these institutions play a vital role in health care service delivery, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. There, the private sector delivers about 50% of health care services and FP messages. As private-sector entities, FBOs and religious leaders<\/a> can encourage people to use contraceptive methods.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Engaging Community<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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\u201cFaith communities are concerned about enhancing life. We know that the challenges related to prenatal care and antenatal care are so severe on the babies and also their mothers. So our interest here is to ensure that we take care of the well-being of the mother<\/strong>, especially through things like child spacing,\u201d said Reverend Canon Grace Kaiso, of Uganda, during a community panel<\/a> conducted during the March 2021 International Conference on Family Planning Not Without FP Forum.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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\u201cFaith communities are concerned about enhancing life.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Reverend Canon Grace Kaiso<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Awareness of the importance of engaging<\/a> faith-based organizations and religious leaders in closing the gap in meeting individuals\u2019 health care needs is increasing. Nigeria\u2019s Family Planning Blueprint 2020\u20132024<\/a> recognizes the need to partner and collaborate with religious leaders<\/strong> and faith-based organizations as a key strategy in meeting FP needs.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Assessing the FP Landscape<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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A recent Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP) article<\/a> supports the importance of engaging faith-based organizations and religious leaders in meeting individuals\u2019 FP needs.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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The article authors note that \u201cFBOs are interested in expanding access to FP<\/strong> and increasing service delivery, yet governments, donors, and nongovernmental organizations give low priority to FBOs for financial, training, and commodity support of FP, resulting in a lack of services for underserved populations. When public facilities face stock-outs, commodities are less likely to flow to FBOs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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The authors describe a project in which The Christian Connections for Health partnered with the Christian Health Association of Kenya and Churches Health Association of Zambia to build capacity among FBOs and religious leaders<\/strong> to advocate for FP. The project involved:<\/p>\n