This Thursday October 6th 2011 in the Conference hall of Heritage Hotel in Nyanza District took place a consultative meeting on Family Planning; a meeting that was organized by the Ministry of health, the Rwanda Parliamentarians’ Network on Population and Development(RPNPD), Ministry of Local Government, Intrahealth and the Southern Province.

This meeting had brought together all the Mayors of the Southern Province, the Vice Mayors in charge of Social Welfare, the Presidents of the Districts Council and other employees that deal with Health related issues in the Southern Province.

In his opening speech, the Governor of Southern Province Alphonse MUNYANTWALI highlighted that " There must be a balance between Family Planning and the National Economy and the population has to be sensitized on these issues."

The coordinator of Family Planning and HIV/AIDS programs in the Ministry of health Dr. Anicet NZABONIMANA underlined that then Districts have to set up appropriate centers that will deal with the sensitization of the population on reproductive health issues especially in the meetings, debates and other programs that bring people together.

For the representative of the Rwandan Parliamentarians’ Network on the Population and Development Honorable Theobald MPORANYI" We must take the Services close to the public in their Villages, empowering women and youth in reproductive health so that they can also help others in the community to have sufficient information and share it with them."

To conclude the meeting, Governor Alphonse MUNYANTWALI highlighted that in order to reach the population and insure that they have understood the messages on Family Planning and reproductive health in general, different communication means like Radios, Television, News Papers, Sign boards and bill posting have to be used at the public places where most of people will have access to these information.

In this meeting it was reminded that the Family Planning rate in the Southern Province is 49% and the target is to reach at least 52% before the end of this year 2011.

Kinyarwanda version

Jean Paul BYIRINGIRO

Public Relations & communication Officer

Southern Province