A study on the availability of modern contraceptive methods and maternal lifesaving medicines in Service Delivery Points (SDPs) around the country has revealed that 66.1% of health facilities in Lesotho offer modern family planning, 92.4% offer maternal health services and 98.2% offer HIV/AIDS services.
The survey, conducted in September 2017 in 171 health facilities, found that, 66.1% of the facilities offer modern family planning. It further revealed that 100% of facilities that provide family planning services offered at least three methods; male and female condoms, injectables and oral contraceptives.
It further showed that out of the 158 Service Delivery Points that provide maternal and reproductive health services, availability of seven essential life-saving maternal and reproductive health medicines was 100%.
In addition, during the three months preceding the survey, 44.2 % of the SDPs had a stock out of any method of modern contraceptives that they usually provide. On the day of the survey, 42.5% of the SDPs had stock out of any method of modern contraceptives that they usually provide.
Furthermore, 94.5% of family planning clients were satisfied with services received. Overall, 3.2% of the clients reported paying for family planning services. The services paid for mainly were contraceptives.
The survey was undertaken by the Ministry of Health, through technical support from UNFPA, the United Nation Population Fund.
The main objective of the survey was to assess the availability and accessibility of modern contraceptives and seven life-saving maternal/reproductive health medicines in the country’s health facilities.
