Planning happy families in Lesotho
Lets'oara, R.
Africa Health 13(1): 9
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0141-9536 PMID: 12316584 Document Number: 372175
The Lesotho Planned Planning Association (LPPA), founded in 1968, is promoting population control as the basis of improving the quality of life of the population and accelerating socioeconomic development. Large family size poses particular problems for women in Lesotho, who must combine agricultural work and child care during periods when their husbands are away. Some 40-50% of Lesotho males work in the mines and factories of neighboring South Africa, meaning that women head a substantial proportion of households. If children are spaced, the stress on working mothers is reduced and children are more likely to receive adequate food, health care, and education. LPPA has field educators in all 10 districts of Lesotho who promote family planning at the grassroots level and prefer potential acceptors to governments and nongovernment clinics for contraceptive supplies. LPPA's monthly newsletter, published in English and the vernacular Lesotho, disseminated IEC to the community. Although surveys have indicated that over 85% of the population is aware of family planning, under a third of the sexually active population practices fertility control. Obstacles to contraceptive usage include misinformation about the objectives of family planning and a belief that large numbers of children are essential for old age security. The LPPA is a private organization. Although the Government of Lesotho has invited proposals for a national population policy, there is at present no government support for population control activities.