Public Health On Call 883 - How An Advocate is Thinking About Family Planning
Apr 16, 2025
Innocent Grant, a passionate family planning advocate from Tanzania and an MSPH student at Johns Hopkins, shares his journey in empowering women and girls. He addresses the looming threats of U.S. funding cuts on global family planning efforts and their potential impact on maternal mortality rates. Grant discusses tackling mis- and disinformation regarding sexual health in his community, advocating for safe abortions, and fostering economic empowerment for young families. His insights underscore the importance of evidence-based advocacy in these challenging times.
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Grant's Journey to Advocacy
- Innocent Grant grew up wanting to be a doctor after witnessing HIV's toll in Tanzania.
- Clinical rotations in obstetrics exposed him to complications from unsafe abortions, inspiring his family planning advocacy.
Family Planning Cuts Threaten Progress
- Family planning programs contributed to reducing Tanzania's maternal mortality rate from 556 to 116 per 100,000 live births.
- Cuts to such programs risk undoing progress and trapping young mothers in cycles of poverty and poor health.
Facing Misinformation Head-On
- Innocent Grant faced a viral debate misrepresenting family planning as harmful for youth.
- He countered with calm facts and shared community questions about contraception that often go unanswered, fueling misinformation.