Sayana Press Rollout Strengthens Family Planning Access in Zimbabwe

By Dumisani Ndlovu

Gweru - The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has intensified efforts to increase the uptake of Sayana Press, a long-acting injectable contraceptive, positioning it as a cornerstone of self-care in family planning.

The initiative aims to reduce unmet need, ease pressure on health facilities, and expand women’s autonomy over their reproductive health.Speaking at a journalist sensitization meeting in Gweru on Wednesday, ZNFPC Provincial Manager Karen Dzuke outlined the phased rollout of the method, which was first introduced in 2021.

“We started with three provinces, Mashonaland East, Bulawayo Metropolitan, and Matabeleland South.

Then, after the first five provinces, we realised that there was success in the natural activities in the communities. We then rolled it out nationally,” she said.

Initially administered by nurses at health facilities, Sayana Press is now being promoted as a self-care option.

“Clients would go to the facility where the service provider injects Sayana Press. But in February 2025, we rolled it out in self-care,” Dzuke explained.

She emphasized that self-care is particularly beneficial for women in remote areas.

“We realised that Sayana Press is an advantage in self-care because clients minimise visits to the facility. For those in hard-to-reach areas, they can actually have it with them and self-inject from the comfort of their home,” she said.

Dzuke acknowledged that uptake has been steady but gradual, with some women hesitant to self-administer.

“We still have pockets of people in our community who don’t want to self-administer, or are not yet confident enough. But for those who are very confident, they will just start and take it. So it’s going to be a gradual process,” she noted.

She urged journalists to play a critical role in raising awareness.

“We are really encouraging that you as journalists take the information out there, educate the communities through your writing, whether it’s on air or in print. We know our communities will be safe,” Dzuke said, adding that self-care clients are still expected to visit facilities twice a year for follow-up.

ZNFPC Marketing and Communication Officer Shewell Hove reinforced the safety and accessibility of Sayana Press.

“Women of childbearing age, of all ages, can access Sayana Press. Adolescents can use Sayana Press,” he said, clarifying that safeguards are applied for those aged 13 to 18, while girls aged 10 to 12 are not provided with the method.

Addressing safety concerns, Hove stressed: “It’s just a prick in the skin, away from blood vessels and nerves. It cannot injure any structure. The women are safe,” comparing the injection to insulin self-administration by diabetics.

He added that data is captured through family planning registers and integrated into the national health information system to ensure accountability and informed decision-making.Hove said the self-care push aligns with ZNFPC’s rights-based approach.

“We want to achieve zero unmet need for family planning, because self-care will make it easier to be accessible. We want to increase autonomy for our clients. When we roll out self-care, our clients have the choice to either continue to be looked after by health workers or to go out there and self-inject,” he explained.

ZNFPC Midlands Provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Kudakwashe Mbedzi highlighted the economic and social barriers that make self-care vital. “Travel is a cost for most women so now a mother chooses either to self-inject or to continue to be injected by a provider,” he said.

Mbedzi also pointed to cultural challenges, noting that some women face resistance from partners. “Some people, their boyfriends don’t allow them to use family planning.

It’s very true, especially in rural communities. Some men are aggressive in planning, so women can use this,” he said.The rollout of Sayana Press self-care is now nationwide, with ZNFPC working alongside nurses, community partners, and journalists to generate demand and build confidence.

Officials say the initiative is not only about contraception, but about dignity, autonomy, and giving women greater control over their bodies.