Family planning
services received a boost recently, with the establishment of a new clinic,
Okokomaiko Primary Health Centre, Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA),
Lagos, by Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative 2 (NURHI).
According to NURHI
2, the new clinic will improve health services at the family planning unit of
Okokomaiko PHC which is one of the 50 selected including hospitals in the State
under its “72-hour Family Planning Clinic Make-Over’’ Project.
The initiative is
targeted toward reducing the high rate of maternal, infant and child mortality
in Lagos State through the up-take of family planning, the organisation said.
Speaking to the
INDEPENDENT at the clinic’s inauguration, Wale Haastrup, Senior Programme
Officer, Advocacy, NURHI, Lagos State, said: “NURHI promotes the use of family
planning in the communities where we work.
“For us to promote
the use of family planning services, we have to upgrade these facilities to the
basic standards that they should be.
“In so doing, the
providers will be able to deliver optimal quality services to clients and
patients.
“NURHI’s concept of
72-hour make-over is targeted at 50 health facilities where we are working; we
are in the process of getting additional 50 facilities.
“So, we go in on
Friday and complete work on the facility to be open f
He added: “We also
know that if a facility is not user-friendly, people will not access it.
“The Federal
Government said that family planning should be free at all levels but when the
facilities do not have the right equipment to help provide these services, it
will affect choices and quality delivery.
“So, NURHI has
provided these commodities and equipment to facilitate all necessary services
for those who want them,’’ Haastrup said.
According to him,
family planning or child birth spacing (CBS) has many benefits.
“ Family Planning
is beneficial to mother, children, father and the family as a whole.
“Spacing a child
through family planning methods helps the mother to regain her health after
delivery; it also gives the woman the opportunity to love and give attention to
her husband and children.
“ Family Panning is
also an important intervention strategy to avert maternal, infant and child
deaths.
“It reduces
maternal mortality by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, the number
of abortions and the proportion of high risk births,’’ he said.
The Chairman of Iba
LCDA, Ramota Oseni, commended NURHI for the gesture.
Oseni, represented
by Hon. Isiaka Yaya, Vice-Chairman, Iba LCDA, said: “Government cannot do it
alone and that is why we are happy with NURHI 2’s initiative.
“We have seven PHCs
in Iba LCDA, but the one at Iba Local Government headquarters is where most people
go to.
“With the
remodeling of this PHC, especially the family planning section, our people will
be coming here; this will decongest the number of people going to Iba.
“We need more of
this kind of initiatives and commitment from necessary stakeholders in the
health sector,’’ Oseni said.
Speaking on behalf
of the community, Chief Wahabi Eletu, the “Baale’’ of Okokomaiko, said there
was need to intensify awareness on the benefits of family planning.
According to him,
there is need for increased government’s presence in the community to
facilitate growth and development.
The community
leader said that the people would be committed to ensuring that the unit was
sustained and people were mobilised and encouraged to use the family planning
services.
NURHI is funded by
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve on reproductive health
especially, family planning.
