By Kudakwashe Mbedzi – Provincial Marketing and Communications Officer
The World Contraception Day (2024) (WCD) commemoration was held at Mkoba Teachers College, in Gweru on the 26th September. The successful hosting of the event highlighted ZNFPC’s commitment to promoting Family Planning, contraception provision and Reproductive Health and Rights of adolescent girls and young women as well as all people of reproductive age. WCD is a global campaign with a vision to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted. Its mission is to improve awareness of contraception with more emphasis on enabling young people to make informed decisions on sexual and reproductive health and rights, hence the event targeted mainly a cohort of young women and men at Mkoba Teachers College and women of reproductive age from surrounding communities of Mkoba community suburbs. The commemoration ran under the umbrella theme, Contraception; ‘It’s your life; it’s your responsibility’. The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, represented by his Deputy, Honorable Sleiman Kwidini, was the Guest of Honour.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Honorable Sleiman Kwidini, (left) was the Guest of Honour at the World Contraception Day in Gweru
The day was marked with pomp and fanfare featuring key note addresses by national public figures and dignitaries, free Family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) clinical services, Media publicity, Information, Education and Communication and promotional materials distribution, ASRH youth-friendly service provision, FP/RH health talks, Quiz and dance competitions. To ensure extensive media coverage, Zimpapers was engaged for live streaming of the event, ZBC, local radio stations like 98.4FM and Central Radio, print and social media ensuring that messages reached millions of people countrywide and beyond. About over 2500 people physically attended the event. This event increased awareness of contraception among people of reproductive age especially young people to empower them to make informed decisions on their reproductive health issues.
Crowds gather to celebrate the World Contraception Day commemoration
By successfully hosting this national event, ZNFPC positioned the Family Planning issue on the national socioeconomic agenda. The event also led to increased resource mobilization efforts to adequately fund the national Family Planning program. By engaging communities at such gatherings, it helps to dispel myths and misconception regarding contraception use which are so pervasive among the general populace. ZNFPC Midlands Province is therefore commended for the splendid event which went seamlessly. However, the event could not have been a success without the unequivocal support from the Chief Executive Officer of ZNFPC, Mr. Farai Machinga and his Directorate, the Board, ZNFPC Management from all Provinces, the parent Ministry of Health and Child Care as well as development partners, Civil Society Organizations and various stakeholders.