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| Dr Taiye Oni and Gov Akeredolu during a health event on immunization |
As a fall out of the 2017 World Population Day which has its theme as; Family Planning: Empowering People and Developing Nations, the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Board has gone a step further by taking the Family Planing Campaign to Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
A statement by the Press Officer in the state’s Ministry of Health, Abooluwa Famakinwa and made available to THE PRECISION, noted that the State Reproductive Health and Family Planning Officer, Rosemary Adegbulu said the campaign to Ilaje became necessary because most people especially women of the reproductive age in Ilaje have not accepted Family Planing which is a major empowerment tool.
Mrs Adegbulu stressed that Family Planing will take the people out of poverty if embraced as it will prevent unwanted pregnancies and help in the spacing of children with the multiplier effect of enhanced productivity.
She promised that the campaign will not end at the Local Government Headquarters but will be taken to the riverine, creeks and the high seas.
The Family Planning Officer charged the Community Based Distributors and Health extension workers to continue the sensitisation and take the Gospel to the nooks and crannies of the Local Government and the State at large.
The MNCH Coordinator for Ilaje Local Government Area, Ikujamoye Olayemi said the campaign is apt at this time of economic recession as there is need to check population growth.
She opined that Ilaje needs such sensitisation as the people like having many children thus the need to take the campaign to the creek and riverine area.
One of the community based distributors, Sunday Odolo said the campaign became necessary when government discovered that many adolescents and youths were getting pregnant and aborting thereby risking their lives.
One of the beneficiaries, Emeka Lawrence who responded said the campaign is a right step in the right direction.
Another beneficiary, Kemi Iwakun who collected contraceptive for herself and daughter hailed government for the programme which she described as the right step in this time of recession.
“The trend observed is that most of those that collected contraceptive pills and condoms are adolescents and youths though some of the sensitised women opted for various other family planning methods which include 28 day contraceptive pill, exclution injectable, Jelly foaming tablets, male and female condoms among others.
“Other methods available are permanent methods such as; Tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men. Though non opted for these, Famakinwa said.
High points of the programme include; dance round the market and distribution of condoms and pills by Community Based Distributors who were not deterred by the heavy down pour.
Some pop dancers whose dance steps trilled the audience attracted lots the younger generations, dramatised the essence of Family Planning.
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