‘Quackery may reverse gains on contraceptive uptake’

Even as Oyo State achieved six per cent increase in its contraceptive prevalence rate, Oyo State Team leader of NURHI, Mrs Stella Akinso has alerted that quackery in the state’s suburb may reverse this gain, aimed at reducing deaths in mothers and babies, if it is not checked.

Mrs Akinso, who spoke at a family planning visioning meeting for local government chairmen in Oyo State and launching of 72-hour clinic makeover compendium, said the rate at which untrained health providers are now providing long-acting reversible contraceptives is becoming alarming.

She said many complications are being recorded from untrained family planning providers dispensing long-acting reversible contraceptive such as implants.

According to her, “when people give the implants, they insert it deep into the arm. So when the woman wants to remove it, they have to cut it open to be able to remove it.”

Mrs Akinso said experiences of such women are driving others away from accepting to use long-acting reversible contraceptive such as implants, which they now refer to in local parlance as “cut and sew”.

She, however, said that family planning was imperative for reducing needless deaths among women in the reproductive age group, adding that an enabling environment is central to its sustenance.

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While berating increasing teenage pregnancy in many communities, she said NURHI had renovated 54 facilities under its 72-hour clinic makeover initiative in the last few years at an average cost of N1.5 million to ensure a good environment for access family planning services.

Mrs Akinso, however, urged the local government council chairmen to help improve coordination, political commitment and ownership of family planning services at their levels, adding that family planning is not about stopping births, but having the number of children an individual can cater for.

Family Planning Coordinator, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Mrs Adeola Awakan, enumerated challenges against implemented Oyo State family planning cost-implementation plan to include funding, lack of political will and the shortage of skilled personnel, lack of consumables and the non-domestication of the plan at the local  government level.

Acting Executive secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Lanre Abass, who launched the 72-hour clinic makeover compendium, said that it documents all the facilities NURHI renovated so that the state can buy into them and take ownership when NURHI leaves.