Time to provide needed materials for Family Planning in Nigeria –Famakin

By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Chairman of Sustainable Family Planning Providers’ Association, Dr Monday Famakin has urged the Federal,states and local governments to provide  the needed materials for the smooth running of Family Planning in Nigeria’
Dr Famakin made the call in Ibadan while  speaking on ‘Policy environment for Family Planning in Nigeria’ at a two-day training on Family Planning /Child Spacing tagged “Effective Family Planning Coverage in Nigeria” for journalists especially On Air Personalities in Ibadan,
He declared that this became necessary in view of the fact that most of the funds needed to champion the programme were being provided by donors,adding “family planning services is free in all the government heath facilities across the country”
“Most of the states does not have policies on ground while some are yet to pass the bill that would serve as oil in greasing the campaign and implementation of family planning in their respective state.
He then urged the media in the country not to relent on its continued efforts towards maintaining  its civic responsibility of development journalism.
Speaking on “Understanding Family Planning: Types of Family Planning Methods”Mrs. Elizabeth Ojo-Jenyo said  effective Family Planning program can help reduce maternal mortality by close to 40%,saying,
family planning campaign was not to discourage child bearing but to allow families space their children and give birth to children they can cater for.
“Family planning is the decision taken by the individual or couple on the number of children to have and when to have them in order to be able to cater for the family needs. A primary health strategy with important benefits for both maternal and child health”she said.
Mrs Ojo-Jenyo pointed out that”family planning helps to avoid pregnancies at too early an age, at very short intervals, at too old an age, Family Planning helps to avoid too many pregnancies, thereby preventing death of mothers (maternal death).
She then attributed lack of access, myths and misconceptions, poor/lack of knowledge, providers bias, cost, gender and socio-cultural norms, medical barriers, inappropriate criteria set by service providers as major threats to effective family planning services in the country.
Oyo State NURHI Team Leader, Mrs. Stella Akinso in her remark lamented that despite this huge advantages, funding for family planning services is inadequate and has been falling for decades.
Mrs Akinso urged that “policy makers need to learn from the mistakes of the MDGs and to increase funding for family planning and sexual and reproductive health services” and that all the stakeholders in Oyo State and the country at large to support organizations championing the campaign.