INDICATIONS have emerged that the targeted 46 per cent Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) being envisaged by the Ogun State Government in the year 2030 could be hardly achieved due to activities of quacks with attendants’ cases of ineffective and failed Family Planning (FP) being reported by women of reproductive age in the state.
The state with a current CPR of 32. 1 per cent, had renovated its Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), across the State with the provision of FP consumables, training and re-training of service providers, advocacy for demand generation, and adequate logistics for distribution of commodities, among other effective progarammes, to ensure improvement in the contraceptive uptake.
Findings during a media chat with some women groups of reproductive age in Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Sagamu, and Yewa-South showed that peer influence and lack of adequate information on appropriate places to access quality FP services had made many of them fall victim to the hands of unqualified providers, resulting to health complications, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
A 26-years old hairdresser in Sagamu, Mrs Adebimpe Salako revealed that she adopted the injectable method of contraception three years back from a private-owned facility, after which she noticed a sudden sign of pregnancy six months after accessing the service.
On her part, Mrs Ayinke Ajetunmobi, a 30-year-old petty trader in Sabo, Abeokuta North Local Government Area, narrated that she received Intra-Uterine Devices (IUD) method from an auxiliary nurse, who claimed to have offered FP services to women.
Ajetunmobi stated that she later developed health complications attributed to the improper insertion of the device.
While reacting to the activities of quacks and their implications, a professional FP provider at the Olikoye Ransome Memorial Hospital, Asero, Abeokuta, Mrs Funmilola Taiwo said there were reports and complaints from some women with ugly experiences as a result of accessing FP services from unregistered facilities, where they’re likely to be quacks.
Mrs Taiwo added that the persistence incidence was due to illiteracy level and inadequate knowledge on where to access quality services, advising women and couples to always visit Primary Health care Centres and other public health facilities for information on reproductive health care, noted that trade associations, community and religious organisations should also intensify efforts to enlighten their members and congregation on socio-economic and health benefits of childbirth spacing.
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