Kaduna (Nigeria) — Kaduna State has received a pat on the back from Pathfinder International for making progress in the contraceptive prevalence rates.
Pathfinder International, one of the leading advocacies in family health gave the commendation in Kaduna, North west Nigeria at a meeting with Family Health Advocates of Nigeria Initiatives (FHANI) and Performance Monitoring and Accountability (PMA)2020.
The meeting was held to among others, share data of Round 4 survey by PMA2020, and also identify areas of lapses or shortcomings with a view to improving on them.
The survey which was carried out in April and May 2017 in 66 enumeration areas across the state shows an increase in the use of contraceptives for child spacing.
It however stressed the need for enhanced counseling and proper information on the use of contraceptives. To this end, traditional and religious leaders, as well as women clergy and leaders would be engaged in proper education of adolescents in particular and women in general.
According to the survey, Kaduna however has the problem in the area of early child birth among girls, especially in rural areas.
It was also noted with concern that out of the 1068 health facilities in Kaduna state, only a little over 400 are providing family health care services, hence the need for government to do more on the training of health workers in that direction.
ln a remark, the Chairman, Family Health Advocates of Nigeria Initiatives, Malam Shehu Usman Mohammed Makarfi said contraceptives that were supposed to be free were even being sold at high costs saying they should be subsidized if they could not be given out free.
He thanked Pathfinder International for its support and pledged FHANI’s commitment to ensuring that the objectives of the program were achieved.
Kaduna is one of the 7 states where the survey was carried out. Others are Lagos, Anambra, Rivers. Taraba., Kano and Nasarawa
If Nigeria and other countries work on their target for 2018, an estimated 120 million women around the world have access to modern contraceptives. Nigeria’s target is to raise its contraceptives uptake from the present 15% to 36%.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/03/05/health/make-budgets-comprehensive-transparent-csos-task-nigerian-government/
