As men of faith, we share a deeply held conviction that all families – regardless of their religious beliefs – are entitled to lead healthy lives free from suffering and deprivation. But, tragically, an absence of basic family planning services deprives millions of people of this fundamental right every year.
More than 200 million women worldwide lack access to modern contraceptives – and when families are unable to control the timing and spacing of pregnancies, the cost can be measured in thousands of women’s and children’s lives lost.
Delivering family planning services and education to those who most need them may seem a daunting task, but a powerful infrastructure is already in place that can help us increase access to contraception: the global faith community.
Today, faith-based organisations are often the de facto healthcare providers in many developing countries, providing an estimated 40% of health services in sub-Saharan Africa alone. In many nations, religious leaders are the most visible and accessible form of authority, trusted far more than governments or non-profit organisations. In addition to offering counsel and providing advice aimed at promoting health and wellbeing to worshippers, faith leaders play an important role in influencing what is taught in schools and what services are provided in healthcare facilities.
Because of this influence, faith leaders worldwide have an unparalleled opportunity – indeed, a moral obligation – to prioritise conversations about family planning and close the contraception gap.
Quality family planning services provide enormous health and economic benefits to families, communities and countries. According to the UN Development Programme, for every $1 spent on family planning, governments can save up to $6 for other development priorities. There is also wide agreement among global experts that people who have access to family planning information, services and supplies are likelier to complete their education, live more prosperous lives and raise healthier children.
Many faith-based organisations are already taking a leading role in the promotion of family planning in developing countries, while respecting the core tenets of their faith. Examining their successes provides a valuable blueprint for faith-based solutions.
In the Muslim world, many imams, such as the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, Gad El-Hak Ali Gad El-Hak, spread information about family planning to their followers, encouraging the use of long-acting reversible contraception methods such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants. Moreover, in 2012, 200 Indonesian imams came together to approve vasectomy, which was previously prohibited.
These religious leaders have declared that no text in the Qur’an specifically prohibits these family planning methods.
Additionally, organisations like Al-Azhar University’s International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research adopted a definition of family planning that includes treatment of infertility side-by-side with birth-spacing. The organisation has made headway by sending travelling “caravans” comprised of pro-contraception theologians and medical experts to communities around the world to dispel pervasive family planning myths.
In Kenya, the Christian Health Association of Kenya has made use of pre-existing church-run healthcare facilities to increase family planning engagement by more than 400% in the underserved rural communities of Siaya and Kakamega. By enlisting local religious leaders to help provide family planning information and make referrals for reproductive health services, Chak reached thousands of women, significantly increasing the use of contraceptive pills, IUDs, implants and condoms in both areas. The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa has found similar success enabling local health centres and hospitals to provide support for sexual and reproductive health services.
These are just a few examples of what faith-based organisations can achieve when they embrace family planning as a malleable concept that can fit into their religious framework – and that is what we all must do to build a healthier and more sustainable future.
In November, dozens of influential religious leaders will come from around the world to discuss family planning implementation at the faith pre-conference of the International Conference on Family Planning in Indonesia. But talking is not enough. To enact change on a global scale, religious leaders must embrace their community responsibilities, educate themselves about the various contraceptive options for couples, and engage their local governments and healthcare providers on the topic.
Local action is the only tool that will allow us to meet the family planning needs of millions and build a better world for future generations.
On 26 September, World Contraception Day offered faith leaders worldwide an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to those 200 million women who lack access to the contraceptive tools they need. It was also a reminder to us all – religious and secular alike – just how much the health of our families, communities and countries can benefit from something as simple as access to contraception.
• Rev Canon Grace Kaiso, a theologian and Anglican priest, is general secretary of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa. Dr Ahmed RA Ragab is a professor of reproductive health and vice-chairman of the Faith to Action Network
