By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Health, Dr Isiaka Adekunle has called on media professionals and Information Officers to embark on public awareness programmes showcasing the importance of family planning services and also dispelling rumors, myths or misconceptions which serve as great barriers to women of reproductive age family planning and Adolescent and Youths Sexual Reproductive Health Acceptability in the state.
The Permanent Secretary, made this call during a one-day orientation and familiarization meeting, organized by the Osun State Government in collaboration with “The challenge initiative (TCl)”, for Media and Information Officers in the state, held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Health in Osogbo.
Dr Adekunle, who was represented by the State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Abatan Margaret Ololade, stated that the role of the media in promoting health matters, among others, cannot be over emphasized in the society.
Mrs Abatan hinted that family planning was a decision taken by the individual or couple on the number of children to have and when to have them in order to be able to cater to the family needs.
She further stated that Family Planning also assists infertile couples to be investigated and treated.
The family planning coordinator, also disclosed that Osun State has designed robust programmes targeted at providing quality and comprehensive family planning services to women of reproductive age in order to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted infections and maternal morbidity and mortality rate.
Mrs Abatan listed four of some too in family planning system namely: first:Too early , that is if a girl of 15- 18years got pregnant, second: Too close that is if a woman is being impregnated every year, third:,Too many that is if a woman is having more than 4 children, Fourth:Too late late,if a girl is 35years, she is expected not to give birth again because of some dangers associated with it.
The coordinator also revealed that there are some experts in the government circle equipped with modern facilities put in place to prevent unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and to reduce teenage pregnancy through the use of contraceptives
She also stated the benefit of family planning among others, to women, such as unwanted pregnancy removal , health benefits, and social empowerment, while on the side of the man, the workload will be reduced.
She thereafter confirmed that the media has important roles to play through sensitizing the public about the family planning, which includes how to reduce child birth and the attached advantages and disadvantages of not having family planning.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Osun Health Promotion Officer, Mrs Taiwo Adeniji welcomed the participants and urged them to pay adequate attention to the lectures in order to acquire the necessary knowledge that would assist them in creating adequate awareness about the family planning.
She used the occasion to urge the adolescent youths to change from their bad behaviour to good behaviour.
Speaking Earlier, the Team Leader of TCI, Dr Adebusola Oyeyemi who was represented by the duo of Mr Olatunde Raimi and Glory Omonafe stated that the Challenge Initiative major task is to support state governments to achieve greater self reliance, to scale up Family Planning ( FP) and Adolescents Youth Sexual Reproductive Health (AYSRH) high- impact intervention leading to sustained improvement in urban health system and increased use of modern contraceptives especially among the urban poor.
Another speaker, Glory Omomase also talked more about family planning, Adolescent Youth Sexual Reproductive Health in which the Media has a role to play employing enlightenment about the use of contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancy, adding that one of the issues in Nigeria is overpopulation and poverty which warrant every woman or every man to give birth to the number of children they can’t cater for.
She remarked that media is the most powerful establishment on the planet and that one of the services of the Challenge Initiative is to engage media to educate youth on sexual and reproductive health.
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