By Kantarawaddy Times
The Karenni State Health Department of the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) has provided health services for 200 married women in the townships of Dee Maw Hso, Pruso, and Pekon in Karenni State, enabling them to access a five-year contraceptive implant in their arms, according to Ms. Veda, who is in charge of the Karenni Midwives Society (KMS).
“The main goal is to encourage family planning. A married woman should have at least a two-year gap between each child. Only with such a two-year gap can both the mother and the child be healthy. Without birth control, some married women are giving birth to a child every year, which is unhealthy for both the mother and the child. The current political and military situation is also a huge obstacle and hinders their economic development. Therefore, family planning is very important,” she said.
The IEC Health Department provided the five-year contraceptive implants to healthcare workers in the townships of Dee Maw Hso, Pruso, and Pekon, which are covered by the Karenni Midwives Society (KMS). The health workers then compiled a list of married women who wanted to use family planning. Before inserting the implants, they screened the women to determine if they were suitable for birth control implantation.
Ms. Veda from KMS mentioned that due to travel difficulties and various other reasons, some married women have not yet received the contraceptive implants.
“There are many challenges and needs during this process. For example, the situation, getting from one township to another, the lack of phone signal and connectivity, meaning that many women don’t have access to information about the program. Only those who are close to the midwives are aware. Some women are completely cut off from any communication, making it impossible for them to access this opportunity. Even those who are interested in receiving the implants may be unable to. Our team can only provide implants for 200 people, so we are unable to help those who are unable to access them. There is a need for more resources,” she explained.
The Karenni Midwives Society (KMS) also plans to continue its work in adolescent girls’ health, married women’s family planning, maternal health, newborn healthcare, and under-five child healthcare.
The Karenni Midwives Society (KMS) is a civil society organization that primarily focuses on providing healthcare services for pregnant women and children under five years old. It was formed by CDM healthcare professionals and is self-funded. Therefore, it urgently needs medical supplies and equipment to continue providing healthcare services in Karenni State.
