The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Intrahealth International, Pape Gaye, has hailed Rwanda for her efforts at embracing modern Family Planning methods. “In terms of vision, working with leadership, in a proper direction, Rwanda is a star,” Gaye said yesterday in an interview with The New Times at a cocktail organised to welcome him to Rwanda. Gaye is on a visit to Rwanda for a meeting with the new Health Minister, Dr. Richard Sezibera, to discuss the way forward for Intrahealth International in the country. He said that preliminary data from a new national survey shows a remarkable rise in the use of modern contraception among married women in Rwanda from 10 percent in 2005 to 27 percent in 2008. The Demographic Health Survey (DHS) has also indicated that the Africa’s most densely populated country has registered fertility rate reduction from 6.1 children per woman in 2005 to 5.5 children per woman in 2008. While Infant mortality rate has fallen from 86 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 62 deaths per 1,000 live births this year. Mortality of children below the age of five years fell from 152 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 103 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2008. Former Health Minister Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo said that Rwandan men have not yet reached the needed level in the use of condoms. He said that the use of condoms is the ‘friendlier’ method in Family Planning. Dr. Ntawukuliryayo pointed out that despite the good results and achievements the country has realised, population growth is one of the challenges everyone and the whole world should be concerned with. Now the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Ntawukuliryayo called upon women to be open and involved in Family Planning discussions with their husbands. He challenged the public to have a new attitude that is beyond families, the nation and the world concept of Family Planning if the development is to be sustained. Ends
