Drought in Kenya’s Samburu County Impacts Family Planning | by Amuna Wagner

In Samburu, north-eastern Kenya, the search for food, water and pasture has seen a drop in access to family planning services, reports BBC Africa.

Drought is affecting women’s reproductive health as the community is moving further away from health facilities. Some of the women are going as far as 120 - 150 km from health providers; as a result, women have to make journeys over several days to see a doctor.

"The community would rather put food on the table than to go look for family planning”, says nurse Kephine Atieno who is part of a team of nurses travelling around Samburu county to provide women with free antenatal care, vaccinations and family planning.

Apwa Lenamunyi, Head of the Health Reproductive Unit (Samburu), adds: “As they migrate to the mountains, all the (health) services will come to a standstill. That is why we get unplanned pregnancies, that is why we also get so many people falling sick.”

Apart from the drought, Lenamunyi states a conservative culture is responsible for preventing women from accessing adequate health care.

The nurses have to challenge patriarchal taboo culture when trying to give information on the ground.

“We get young mothers having more than two kids, and the same mothers are expecting and still they do not have the information on family planning”, says Atieno.

In Samburu, north-eastern Kenya, the search for food, water and pasture has seen a drop in access to family planning services, reports BBC Africa.

Apart from the drought, Lenamunyi states a conservative culture is responsible for preventing women from accessing adequate health care.

The nurses have to challenge patriarchal taboo culture when trying to give information on the ground.

“We get young mothers having more than two kids, and the same mothers are expecting and still they do not have the information on family planning”, says Atieno.