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African experts warn maternal health at stake amid shortage of contraceptives in cities

The Xinhua reported, experts said Wednesday (May 18) that the health of women in Africa's rapidly developing cities is in peril amid inadequate access to family planning services. This comes on the sidelines of the ongoing ninth edition of the Africities Summit in Kenya's western city of Kisumu.
According to the experts, about 20 million women in African cities are keen to use birth control pills but cannot access them due to poverty, cultural myths and lack of awareness.
The direct cost of supplying a modern and effective contraceptive to a couple in Africa is about 800 shillings (about 6.87 U.S. dollars) annually, said the experts who stressed the need to control population growth in cities to avert a socioeconomic and ecological crisis.

Alex Ezeh, a professor of Global Health at Drexel University, United States, said that many women residing in African cities are keen to use modern contraceptives but cost implications and patriarchy were a bottleneck.
"Family planning is one of the most important investments you can make to improve the lives of the citizens of your city, especially women and girls," Ezeh remarked, stressing that investing in family planning services was a low-cost and effective means of hastening urban renewal, curbing maternal mortalities and improving the resilience of low-income populations in Africa's towns and cities.
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Esther Passaris, a female lawmaker in Kenya, said that political goodwill is critical to expand access to contraceptives among women of reproductive age, limit unsafe abortions and attain gender parity.
Passaris emphasized the need for governments and multilateral lenders to prioritize investments in reproductive health services for women and girls residing in Africa's urban slums as a means to achieve sustainable development.
She added that access to contraceptives should be embedded in national policies on promoting gender equality, household poverty alleviation, inclusive development and social renewal.
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Kenya is hosting the five-day summit with more than 4,000 delegates from 54 African countries attending. They include former heads of state and government, ministers, city mayors, campaigners and scholars.
The summit, held every three years on a rotational basis, is the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa's flagship Pan-African event whose overarching goal is to come up with a new roadmap for accelerating urban renewal in the continent.
Source: xinhua
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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