NGO urges Nigerians to embrace family planing

An NGO has called on Nigerians to embrace family planning to promote responsible parenthood and encourage proper population growth.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the organization, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Sokoto.

He said that the family planning control mechanisms could be used as instruments to contain social and security challenges in the country.

Umar-Jabbi, who is also the District Head of Gagi in Sokoto South LGA, advocated proactive measures to encourage the best family planning practices in the country.

“Family planning is the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children, spacing, and timing of their births, achieved through the use of contraceptives.”

“It is widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective health interventions to save lives, and improve maternally and child health.”

“Family planning services allow individuals to achieve desired birth spacing and family size. Economic hardship is affecting some families, especially those with many children that could not cater for them,” he said.

According to him, a proper family planning system will enable families and authorities to check security challenges and ensure efficient resource management.

He called for increased investment in family planning services to deal with rising population indices and security challenges.

The Chairman said the organization had embarked on awareness creation activities to mobilize community participation in security, maternal and reproductive health services as well as a campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

He said that the organization had trained about 400 youths and women as well as religious leaders on the dangers associated with SGBV and how to address the menace.

The organization,  he said had introduced an award scheme to recognize outstanding health workers and women to encourage immunizations coverage and improved access to quality healthcare service delivery at the grassroots.

He said the gesture was to encourage more women to attend antenatal and postnatal care in the Gagi community and environs.

“There is a need to identify danger signs in pregnancy before, during, and after childbirth so that more measures could be taken to reduce maternal and child mortality rates.

“In order to achieve 2030 sustainable Development Goals Nigeria need to increase the proportion of women delivered by skilled attendants,” he said.