Former Botswana health minister Phumaphi agreed.
“We have countries in sub-Saharan Africa where over 50 percent of the population is either young people or children. We have this youth bulge. We have a child bulge, which we cannot keep pace with,” she said.
Cairo conference
At the 1994 Cairo conference, recommendations included family planning counseling, pre- and post-natal care and education on human sexuality and reproductive health.
Opposition came from the Vatican, Muslim nations and conservatives in the United States. One concern was that the recommendations would promote abortion as a fundamental right and would encourage it as a method of family planning.
Dr. Sai said a woman’s health should not be a matter of religion or politics.
“People should be left without knowledge so that they die in ignorance when the health things are there to save them, when they can prevent it. I find that argument very difficult because some say that when you teach youngsters how to look after their bodies, then you are tending to teach them how to be promiscuous. I think it’s only in this field that you teach somebody something and then they do the wrong thing only. We teach things so they know what the choices are,” he said.
Sai said he wants African families to have the same family planning choices as Americans. Phumaphi says it’s time to invest in family planning.
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2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27