Experts counsel govt on family planning goal

Consensus of stakeholders on Advance Family Planning in Lagos on Monday was that Nigeria will only attain its 28 per cent contraceptive prevalence rate target come 2020, only when health is prioritised by government and social economic barriers to family planning removed.

Dr Habeeb Salami, Associate Director, Reproductive Health/Family Planning, Pathfinder International speaking at the opening of a 4-day communication meeting said family planning and its importance to development was still not a concern to many policy makers.

According to him, very few states in Nigeria are doing well in ensuring that family planning services are accessible and available to women that need them.

The expert, who remarked that challenges to family planning vary from one part of the country to the other, declared that “in Northern Nigeria, socio economic challenges were a major challenge to family planning.”

“A large number of policy makers do not take health as a challenge. Knowing the kind of system, money will not go to health. That is a big problem.

“In terms of the people, we have quite a number of states where family planning services are available, but they are not accessible due to socio cultural barriers. This is a major problem, which starts from a culture of women wanting to have many children.”

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Dr Salami declared that many misconceptions on family planning were still in Nigeria, adding, “some misinterpret family planning for contraceptives. Some say we can have family planning without contraceptives. But for an effective family planning, you need contraceptives.”

Mr Bulus Yawok, a pharmacist and coordinator, Christian  Advocacy for Family Planning in Africa, Plateau State said much more work still need to be done, especially by faith based organisations, to further lower socio-cultural barriers to uptake of family planning.

Mr Yawok said that contraceptive prevalence rate in Northern Nigeria had remains below 10 per cent for years because of many socio cultural barriers.

He assured that contrary to many people’s opinion, family planning is all about ensure couples have the number of children they can cater for appropriately.

Mr Yusuf Nuhu, Technical Manager, Evidence and Accountability Community Health and Research Initiative said many women that still want to space their children in northern Nigeria could not do so because of stock of contraceptives, and where available, they are made to pay for it.

He declared that a social cultural barrier is also still an issue, adding, “when my wife wanted to have contraception, I had to sign a consent form for it to be done.”