​World Population Day is commemorated internationally tomorrow, 11 July 2017, and was established by the United Nations in 1990.

It aims to put the spotlight on population issues and this year’s theme is ‘Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations’.

According to the United Nations, about 225 million women around the world who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and effective family planning methods. The reasons for this include a lack of access to information or services available to them, or lack of support from their partners or communities.

In Cape Town, City clinics facilitated more than 900 000 family planning or contraceptive appointments, including repeat visits, for the period April 2016 to March 2017. The most popular form of contraception was the injection (both the two- and three-month injections), representing 37% of the methods used. The number of intra-uterine devices (IUDs) inserted is slightly up from the previous year (736 compared with 667), but far too low when considering the great value that this method provides with regard to long-term contraception. An IUD provides family planning protection for up to five years, dispensing with unnecessary visits to the clinic.

‘Family planning gives women control over their own lives and allows them to choose when they want to become pregnant. By empowering women in this way, we are strengthening the fabric of society and, in turn, our communities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Area East, Councillor Anda Ntsodo.

Family planning also provides an opportunity for families to space the birth of their children, ensuring that full attention is given to the child in the first 1 000 days of life (from conception until the age of two). During that stage, the brain experiences the fastest cognitive and socio-emotional development.

‘The City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan promotes accessibility of services for all, including access to a range of effective family planning methods. Women have the right to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and our clinics also provide that. I encourage women to visit their local clinic to speak to a healthcare professional about the options available. Family planning not only saves lives, but it also enriches communities and strengthens economies,’ said Councillor Ntsodo.

This year World Population Day coincides with the United Nations Family Planning Summit in the United Kingdom. The aim of the summit is to expand access to voluntary family planning to 120 million additional women by 2020.

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