NAIROBI, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya should increase budgetary allocation towards reproductive health for women and girls in order to reduce fatalities linked to unsafe abortion and unattended births, campaigners have said.

The campaigners who spoke at a forum in Nairobi on Friday said that robust financing combined with policy reforms and community-led advocacy is key to advance the sexual and reproductive health of women in the childbearing age bracket.

"We must address cultural, legal and financial barriers that have prevented women and girls from accessing reproductive health services like contraceptives that are key to reduce poverty and maternal mortality in the country," said Allan Maleche, executive director of Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN).

Maleche said that Kenya's health advocacy groups have come up with a memorandum calling for greater support for maternal health agenda that will be presented at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) slated for next week in Nairobi.

"Our petition to governments and donor agencies at the forthcoming population summit will challenge them to lend greater support towards reproductive health rights for women in order to reduce pregnancy-related deaths," said Maleche.

He said that health advocates have supported policy and legislative reforms to promote greater access to contraceptives and safe abortion among low-income women who have borne the brunt of unwanted pregnancies.

Kenya loses about 8,000 women annually from preventable causes like obstructed labor, hemorrhage, abortion, infections and high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Boaz Otieno-Nyunya, a Nairobi-based gynecologist said that promoting reproductive health for women is key to reduce poverty and accelerate socio-economic transformation in Kenya.

"The government and donors should take drastic steps to ensure that universal access to family planning commodities is realized in order to cut down on the number of women dying from birth-related complications," said Nyunya.

Winnie Lichuma, a gender rights advocate said that reproductive health for women and girls should be embedded in national development policies and programs. Enditem

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