Despite the role of family planning in reducing the
health risks for women and children, improving the quality of life by
increasing opportunities to access education, nutrition, employment and
effective utilisation of scarce resources, many factors bedevilled its
successful implementation in many communities.
“I got pregnant six weeks after my first child, I
didn’t expect it because the doctor warned me that I need to stay for at least
two years before getting pregnant as my first child was through Caesarean
Section (CS).” This was the words of Adeola Agbala, 38-year-old mother and
trader, Ikorodu, in Lagos.
Adeola said, “But, thank God I was able to deliver
my second child also through CS though I nearly died in the process. After that
experience, the doctor said I should embrace family planning if I want to live
a healthy life.
“I discussed with my husband, he initially said that
family planning would make me promiscuous. But, I thank God that he has changed
his mind and now I am using the tablet and comfortable with it for now. To make
sure I keep up with the drugs, I set alarm on every gadget at home to wake up
at 10 pm. When am through with childbearing I will go for a longer-lasting
method.”
Adeola, who is now a mother of two was endangered
following poor child spacing after two CS embraced family planning to live
healthier. The mother of two, who praised the efforts of health facilities,
government and Non-Governmental Organisations toward boosting access to family
planning commodities, regretted that some women, especially at many
hard-to-reach areas still have fears accepting the services. Explaining that
she had similar thoughts of misconception about contraceptives with her
husband, she admitted that both of them have found that the myths are largely
unproven. She further lamented that this has made some women reject family
planning methods, which in many cases, result in unintended pregnancies.
She explained that when such pregnancies occur, the
women or girls opt for abortion due to cultural, moral beliefs, fear of
stigmatisation and poor financial status, thereby patronising quacks to
terminate the pregnancy.
She also said that patronage of quacks had led to
loss of many ignorant mothers; noting that such people use unsterilised
equipment and operate in an unhygienic environment.
Commenting on the risk of frequent births, Mrs.
Salami Sidikat, Family Planning Manager, Badagry Primary Healthcare Centre said
that various problems would in most likely arise if children are not
appropriately spaced. Sidikat said that babies tend to have a condition called
intrauterine growth restriction, which is when the foetus is not
expected rate
during pregnancy.
“The foetus tends to be small for its age meaning it
might be smaller than the expected size for weeks of pregnancy because of the
possible problems with the placenta,” she said.
The Family Planning Manager further observed that
frequent births could also lead to premature birth as the baby may have
complications because its organs didn’t fully develop and may not function
properly.
“For the mother, there can be a uterine rupture;
this is a tear through the uterus which can occur as a result of scars from
previous caesarean section,” she added.
To reduce unnecessary deaths of women linked with
pregnancy-related circumstances, the Federal Government is partnering with
several organisations to carry out campaigns to increase family planning uptake
by couples who need it to plan the number of children, they could take care of.
She explained that some family planning methods,
like the female and male condoms, are known to prevent the transmission of HIV
and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
Marie Stopes International Organisation of Nigeria
(MSION), an NGO, has been an advocate of family planning as necessary tool
toward achieving development, reducing poverty and ending maternal mortality in
the country.
The international NGO provides contraceptives in
countries around the world, empowering women and girls to take control of their
futures.
It opened its first clinic in 2009, becoming one of
the only providers of long-acting and permanent contraception in the country.
Mr Emmanuel Ajah, organisation’s Director of
Programme Operation, during a recent workshop for Reproductive Health
Journalists in Ibadan, also said that the mission of the organisation was to
ensure that “children are born by choice, not by chance’’ through advocacy to
adopt family planning methods.
According to him, reports indicate that 451 women
and girls out of every 100,000 die from maternal causes, while unsafe abortion
contributes to over 30 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.
He added; “Contraception and abortion contribute to
an unacceptably high Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 451 deaths per 100,000
live births, while unsafe abortion contributes over 30 per cent of maternal
deaths in the country.’’
Mrs. Funmilayo Abodunrin, the Head of Facility,
Apete Primary Health Centre and Family Planning Coordinator for Ido Local
Government Area in Oyo state, recently told health reporters during a field trip
that the number of women seeking modern contraceptive methods in the community
is on the increase.
Abodunrin said that the Apete health centre usually
register at least 100 new clients monthly in addition to existing ones, which
she attributed to increased awareness and advocacy on family planning.
Giving further details, she said, “Before Marie
Stopes came here, the turnout of women seeking modern contraceptives was not
this encouraging, but because of mobilisation, we created more demand for
family planning commodities.’’
Contributing, Mrs. Hannah Osoko, the Head, Christ
Hope Hospital and Maternity, said that the encouraging turnout indicates that
more women can now make informed choices about their reproductive health.
She said some of the family planning commodities in
her centre are, oral pills, implants, coil or Intra-Uterine Contraceptive
Device (IUCD) – a T-shaped implant placed in woman’s uterus to prevent
pregnancy, vasectomy and female sterilisation-tubal litigation as the various
methods of family planning offered at the centre, adding that some couples
visit the centre for counselling and services on appropriate methods.
Mrs Ogechi Onuoha, the Head of Marketing and
Strategic Communication of MSION, said that access to safe and voluntary family
planning was a human right, and central to gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
Commenting, Adekoya Abiola, a retired nurse itemizing
some benefits of family planning said it that it offers unlimited benefits to
every woman who adopts any of the methods.
Adekoya who is also a resident and social worker in
Agboyi-Ketu, said that use of family planning enables
mothers and their babies to be healthier, and risky pregnancies avoided.
Adekoya with many years experience in family planning said she had trained
over 120 health workers on family planning, assuring that she would continue to
raise awareness on family planning considering its numerous health and economic
benefits to individuals and the country as a whole. ” In my community here, I
have introduced many women to family planning and they are embracing it. Family
planning is a tool for safemotherhood.It saves lives. It brings about healthy
family”, she said.
The 56-year-old mother of four, however, identified
lack of budget line for consumables as a major factor affecting women from
coming out to totally embrace family planning. Come 2020, Nigeria hopes to
attain its 28 percent contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR).
The FP 2020 goal is designed to enable 120 million
women and girls have informed choice and access to family planning information
and a range of modern contraceptive methods.
