Ondo State First Lady, Betty Akeredolu, has called for community campaign for effective family planning campaign in Nigeria.
Mrs Akeredolu said this on Wednesday at the commemoration of 2017 World Population Day in Akure.
She said that stakeholders should do more on community engagement to get the people at the grassroots involved on the need for family planning.
According to her, there should be one to one campaign and town hall meetings that can highlight benefits of family planning.
The state first lady noted that there was also the need to hammer on issues relating to family planning despite some contrary views of some religious organisations.
She added that family planning reduced poverty and strengthened lives of women.
Mrs Akeredolu complained of absence of group of young girls and boys, saying that they should be carried along with family planning.
She, however, urged men folk to value women and that women should be seen as inestimable jewels.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Taiye Oni stated that the programme was an annual event to raise awareness relating to population issues and that 2017 version centered on family planning.
The permanent secretary was represented by Director of Planning and Research of the ministry, Dr Dipo Durojaye.
He said observed that indiscriminate rising of population was causing some social vices, saying that there was the need to check uncontrolled population growth.
“There is need for adequate family planning and giving birth is by choice not by chance,” Oni said.
In his words, Director, Lagos Regional Office of United Nations Population Funds (UNDP), Dr Omosehin Omotoso, noted that the annual event was an opportunity to meet world focus on population issues.
Dr Omotoso said 2017 theme was very apt because family planning is essential to develop a nation considering its eminent benefits in society.
He explained that family planning was not just limiting couple’s number of children but appropriate plans for the numbers of expected.
According to him, family planning is a lifesaving intention and that it reduces health risk and danger of abortion.
He added that family planning helped tremendously in developmental goal target of nations.
He, therefore, asked the state government to increase its finance on health issues, saying that press should sensitize public on danger inherent in uncontrolled and careless population growth.
The state Director of National Population Commission (NPC), Falusi Oluyemi said the theme was to tell the public that they needed to embrace family planning in their affairs to address some unpleasant situations in the world.
“There is no religion that completely says one should not plan one’s family for betterment and family planning means you should be able to cater for number of children you want to have,” he added.
NAN
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