Conference communique

Conference communique National Leaders Conference on Population & Development Managing Population to Achieve Vision 2030 Healthier Families for a Prosperous Kenya KICC, Nairobi 15th – 17th November 2010

Conference communique We, the delegates attending the National Leaders’ Conference on Population and Development held on 15-17November, 2010 in Nairobi and focusing on the theme: Managing Population to Achieve Vision 2030, Healthier Families for a Prosperous Kenyamake a statement as follows:

Conference Communique 1. We appreciate: • The Government’s commitment to support population & development programmes and create an enabling policy environment for their implementation; • The Government’s commitment to good governance and implementation of the roadmap to guide Kenya’s development (Vision 2030);

Conference Communique • The efforts of the Government, development partners, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, private sector and other key players to support RH, HIV/AIDS, MCH programmes; • The support given to NCAPD by the Government & development partners, enabling the Agency to address issues of Pop. & Development.

Conference Communique 2. We note with concern that: High population growth results in: • Inadequate health resources and poor delivery of health services; • Need for more resources for social development i.e. education, health e.t.c • Environmental degradation; • Increased maternal mortality rates and poor health for women;

Conference Communique • Reduced finances and other resources for delivery of quality health services; • Reduced housing and poor quality housing in both urban and rural areas; • Unemployment, high rural-urban migration; human trafficking, child labour and anti-social behaviours; • Diminished agricultural production, increased competition in land use and community conflicts on land;

Conference Communique • Conflicting interests - politicians are keen on large numbers (votes) while programmes aim at smaller numbers for quality of life; • Higher demands for investments and provision of infrastructure for Science, Technology and Information; and • Higher poverty levels and inequities in access and quality of services.

Conference Communique 3. We acknowledge that: • Managing Population is key to achieving socio-economic development and Vision 2030; and • Family Planning (FP) is key to Population Management — “A Best Buy.”

Conference Communique 4. As Stakeholders on Population and Development we recognize the need for: • Increased finances and other resources for Population and Development • Strengthened partnerships/linkages networks in all aspects of Population and Development. • Integrated services.

Conference Communique • Focused community engagement on issues relating to Population and Development as well as related issues such as: Health; Education and Training; Environment; Urbanization and Housing; gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups; Repositioning Family Planning, Financing population and Reproductive Health Programmes; Equity and Poverty Reduction; Political Support and Governance; Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; Tourism, Trade, Business and Manufacturing; Science, Technology and ICT; Land Reforms; and Human Resource Development, Labour and Employment

Conference Communique • Integrated Sector Planning to identify areas of synergy, avoid duplication of effort and leverage of resources for development; • A research component to address Population growth concerns in all Sectors; • Pay special attention to the unique needs of special groups.

Conference Communique 5. We resolve to take action in relevant sectors: a. Health • Ensure that health facilities are not only adequate, but also responsive to client needs; • Advocate for increased resource allocation through Government budgetary allocation and/or Private/Public Partnerships;

Conference Communique • Engage the communities in health provision while addressing cultural and religious factors influencing RH including FP; • Devise and implement an advocacy and communication strategy for integrated health services; and • Explore sustainable systems strengthening.

Conference Communique b. Education and Training • Revise curricula for education at all levels to include life skills, entrepreneurial studies and RH; • Strengthen partnerships in the provision of education and training; • Scale up IEC in communities that still practice harmful traditional practices such as FGC and early marriages; and • Increase resources for education at all levels.

Conference Communique c. Environment • Devise strategies for sustaining education and awareness campaigns on impact of population growth on environmental capacity at all levels; • Institute environmental management programmes that involve comprehensive planning that treat the environment as an integrated whole;

Conference Communique • Review rural development strategies and enhance national food security; and • Integrate Population, Health and Environment at all levels.

Conference Communique d. Population, Urbanization and Housing • Create public/private partnerships; • Develop appropriate programmes for community engagement; and • Address the causes and consequences of urbanization.

Conference Communique e. Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups • Understand the gender dynamics that help to explain the different constraints, needs and opportunities for men and women in a given society; • Mainstream gender in Population and Development;

Conference Communique • Enhance community engagement to identify the underlying socio-cultural issues; • Develop region-specific programmes specifically for Youth and ensure provision of integrated Youth friendly services; and • Address issues of gender and disability.

Conference Communique f. Repositioning Family Planning • Reposition Family Planning on the national agenda - provide resources and undertake advocacy for RH and FP at all levels; • Work with communities to strengthen the Community Based services for RH including FP; • Strengthen male involvement in the provision of RH services including FP;

Conference Communique • Identify barriers that negate desired uptake of FP in different regions of Kenya and address these barriers appropriately; and • Strengthen public/private partnerships for RH including FP.

Conference Communique g. Financing Population and Reproductive Health Programmes • Explore sustainable systems strengthening; • Move towards demand-based financing -Output Based Approach • Integrate Sector Planning; and • Develop Private/Public Partnerships for increased financing

Conference Communique h. Equity and Poverty Reduction • Identify the poor and marginalized groups and allocate resources for RH including FP; • Allocate resources for Population programmes; and • Promote and strengthen partnerships among various stakeholders in population and development.

Conference Communique i. Political support and Governance • Collaborate with political leaders and build their capacity to advocate for FP; • Allocate adequate funding for maternal health programmes; • Roll out similar conferences at county level to address specific county issues; and • Actively engage men in family planning programmes.

Conference Communique j. Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries • Embrace, analyze, and intervene along agricultural products value chain; • Make agriculture attractive to the youth through mentorship programmes and review curricula to produce graduates who are relevant to the market; and • Full implementation of the new extension policy, food and nutrition policy, land policy, fisheries policy, and livestock policy.

Conference Communique k. Tourism, Trade, Business and Manufacturing • Increase advocacy on RH/FP in the private sector; • Increase investment in RH/FP within local authorities and other relevant stakeholders; and • Recognize partnership for RH/FP in the integrated policy on population.

Conference Communique l. Science, Innovation and ICT • Better Infrastructure Planning • Better Infrastructure Management • Develop creative ways to interest youth in science-related courses in higher learning institutions; • Tap into youth potential for innovation; • Invest heavily in provision of infrastructure for ST&I; • Strengthen private-public partnerships to improve the design and delivery of messages in various programmatic areas;

Conference Communique l. Science, Innovation and ICT • Invest in rolling out of the ICT villages; and • Increase opportunities in ST&I in rural areas

Conference Communique m. Land Reforms • Develop a National Land Information Management System; • Prepare a National Spatial plan for immediate implementation; • Improve information management systems for easy access to land related information; and • Intensify war on corruption at the Ministry of Lands.

Conference Communique n. Human Resource Development, Labour and Employment • Develop industries at the source of raw materials to create employment and curb migrations to cities; • Revive polytechnics to cater for those do not qualify for universities or cannot afford higher institutions; • Revise current curricula to focus on subjects relevant to the job market; • Revisit back-to-school policy to empower teenage girls and allow sex education to curb dropout rates

Conference Communique 6. We call upon: • The Government to increase its annual budget for Population and RH in order to revamp and reposition FP as a development tool; ensure safe motherhood; reduce maternal and infant mortality and ensure availability of sufficient, appropriate attendants at birth at all levels. The absolute poor should have access to free and safe delivery services;

Conference Communique • The Government to review existing laws, policies, guidelines on population and related issues to streamline and integrate service delivery, and enact laws and policies that protect reproductive rights of women; • The Government to prioritize environmental issues & integrate them in all development plans and strategies;

Conference Communique • Devt. partners to increase their support for RH including FP and to work closely with the Government to streamline funding mechanisms for population and health through joint funding agreements or basket funding and concrete action plans with clear targets; • Engage communities to become more involved in Population issues and the provision of RH including FP.

Thank you for your Attention

Conference communique