Written by: Badr Ahmed

Kenya is experiencing a severe crisis in the provision of family planning methods, after a continued shortage of medical supplies for contraceptives for several consecutive months, raising increasing concerns about rising rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortions, in addition to widespread social and health repercussions.

Kenya's Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) reported that the national stock of contraceptives has reached critical levels, with most items falling below the recommended minimum of 16 months of reserve stock.

Lack of protection in Kenya raises concerns about a rise in sexually transmitted diseases.

The most affected items include long-acting Depo-Provera injections, other injectable methods, and daily birth control pills, which have completely run out in some health facilities.

This shortage is directly reflected in poor communities, especially in slums such as Kibera in the capital Nairobi, where many families depend on government health services.

Local media quoted women in the region as saying that they face daily difficulties in obtaining contraceptives, which puts them under great psychological and social pressure and affects the stability of family life.

Field reports indicate that some women resort to buying P2 emergency pills at relatively high prices, given their scarcity, which increases their financial burden.

Men in the area also reported that a lack of protective equipment, such as condoms, contributed to increased anxiety about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as unplanned pregnancies.

According to social workers, the crisis has also led to tensions within families, with disputes arising from a lack of means of organization, which has affected trust and marital relationships, at a time when economic pressures on low-income families are increasing.

The issue has reached the Kenyan parliament, where some MPs have described the crisis as a result of structural funding shortages and the government's failure to honor its commitments to international partners to increase domestic funding for reproductive health programs.

In the same context, local health centers warned of serious repercussions if the current situation continues, pointing to a significant increase in some cases related to the weakness of family planning services, including an increase in sexually transmitted infections among young people.

Health experts warn that a continued shortage of contraceptives could lead to a wider public health crisis unless urgent action is taken to secure supplies and restore essential health services in the country.