Long-term perspectives of Muslim and Christian religious leaders on an educational intervention about family planning in Tanzania

Abstract

Family planning (FP) education is essential in many sub-Saharan African countries, where there is a high unsatisfied demand for FP despite its availability at healthcare facilities free of charge. Male opposition, limited health knowledge, and concern about compatibility with religious beliefs are major causes of unsatisfied demand. Previous studies have shown that partnerships with religious leaders can increase family planning knowledge and uptake. However, most studies have observed short-term effects of educating religious leaders and little is known of the long-term sustainability of such an intervention. In this study, we interviewed Christian religious leaders 4-5 years after, and Muslim religious leaders 1.75 years after, they received an educational intervention on the medical and religious aspects of FP. We sought to assess the long-term impacts of this FP educational intervention on community discussions of FP and to identify continued challenges. We found that, even years after the intervention, religious leaders continued to educate community members in multiple settings and remained willing and motivated to teach about FP. These results suggest that educating religious leaders is a sustainable and potentially highly cost-effective intervention to improve knowledge and access to FP in communities where cultural norms and religious beliefs may serve as barriers.