The representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Angola urged on Wednesday the need to find an “immediate and long-term solution” to the contraceptive shortage currently affecting the country.
Rinko Kinoshita spoke at the opening session of a workshop on Family Planning and the Impact of Climate Change on Sexual and Reproductive Health, held in Luanda and organized by the National Assembly of Angola.
According to the UNFPA representative — the UN’s international development agency for reproductive health and rights — “Angola is facing a national shortage of contraceptive supplies due to fluctuations in global funding for sexual and reproductive health and family planning.”
“We must find both an immediate and a long-term solution. That is why we are here today at this workshop,” said Kinoshita, emphasizing that the organization’s commitment is to ensure that “every woman, girl, and young person can make decisions about their own body and their own future, with continuous access to accurate information and sexual and reproductive health services — leaving no one behind.”
According to the most recent Multiple Health Indicator Survey (IMS) for 2023/2024, Kinoshita noted that while there has been progress, major challenges remain. Only 15% of married or cohabiting women use modern contraceptive methods — a figure that drops to 8% in rural areas and just 6% among adolescents.
“Despite progress, Angola still records one of the highest fertility rates in Southern Africa, with 4.8 children per woman, down from 6.2 in the 2015/2016 IMS. Moreover, 27% of girls aged 15 to 19 have been pregnant at least once, a figure that rises to 43% in rural areas,” she stated.
“These numbers are not just statistics — they are stories of inequality and of the barriers we still need to overcome,” Kinoshita continued, stressing that investing in sexual and reproductive health accelerates national development by promoting girls’ education and gender equality.
“Every kwanza invested in family planning transforms lives — it reduces maternal mortality, increases girls’ school attendance, promotes women’s participation in the formal labor market, and strengthens family resilience,” she added.
The UNFPA representative also emphasized that family planning enables the government to allocate sufficient resources for social services, healthcare, education, and child protection.
For her part, the President of the National Assembly of Angola, Carolina Cerqueira, noted that 2024 statistics show the country still faces significant challenges in sexual and reproductive health, given its high fertility rate of 4.8 children per woman.
Cerqueira stressed that protecting sexual and reproductive health in Angola requires “an integrated vision where climate policies, public health, social protection, and human rights reinforce one another.”
“Empowering women and ensuring their access to reproductive health services, education, and information is one of the most effective ways to reduce vulnerability and promote more resilient societies,” she concluded.
Source: Lusa
