FBO Caritas champions healthy timing & spacing of pregnancies in Rwanda
Rwanda is not only the most densely populated country in Africa (more than 490 inhabitants per square kilometer), but it also has a high fertility rate of 4.62 children per woman. Addressing the obstacle of a growing population has consequently become a priority for the country’s leadership.
For over a decade, IRH has worked with partners in Rwanda, including the Ministry of Health, NGOs, and faith-based organizations (FBO), to improve family planning access and expand the method mix. Under the A3 Project, which aims to improve reproductive health outcomes through increased availability of and access to appropriate family planning services including fertility awareness-based methods (FAM), these initiatives continue.
Partnering with FBOs like Caritas to strengthen their family planning program is one example. Caritas is a network of Catholic health facilities strongly committed to advancing the health and well-being of Rwandans. One important strategy for achieving this is improving the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies through use of family planning, and offering FAM is consistent with Caritas’ religious guidelines. Therefore, IRH is working alongside Caritas health providers to both expand the number of these methods available to couples and improve access by offering FAM at the community level.
After a recent training with providers, Caritas shares its perspective on the partnership. You can learn more by reading their article.
[Note: To read the article in English, open the link in Google Chrome and click the translate icon to the right of the URL.]