By Sunday Elijah
Christian and Islamic religion leaders in Kaduna, northern Nigeria have asked parents to space the birth of their children, for the wellbeing of the mother, saying non-spacing has contributed to death of some mothers in the country.
Reverend Shekwolo Ayuba and Imam Tanimu Musa were speaking in Kaduna, at a Town Hall meeting on Maternal Health organized by the Family Health Advocates in Nigeria Initiative (FHANI) with the support from Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI).
The two represent a team of inter-faith clerics, who advocate for better and safe motherhood in Kaduna state.
The clerics said, contrary to widely speculated myths and misconceptions, Christianity and Islam have recognised the importance of healthy living, including health of the mother and the baby.
They listed a number of benefits derivable from child spacing to include prevention of maternal and child deaths, as well as improving the quality of family life, socially and economically.
Speaking, Rev. Shekwolo said child spacing helps prevent high risk pregnancies from occurring, owing to the fact that medical advised have been sought by the couples, and careful considerations have been made before the decision.
”Apart from the meetings like this, we also at our various places of worship, tell husbands and wives the need to space their child bearing to attain a healthy family. It is shameful and uncalled for, to see a nursing mother pregnant while breast feeding, a situation that should be discouraged”, Rev Shekwolo said.
On his part, Imam Musa told participants that women could be much healthier if couples planned their child bearing.
“Child spacing is advised, to prevent the mother from becoming pregnant immediately after delivery before weaning. This helps to avoid the possibility of developing complications that affect the mother and even the sibling,” Imam Tanimu emphasized.
He stressed the need for the people to disabuse their minds that the subject matter was a ploy or conspiracy by the western world against developing countries.
The Director Primary Health Care, Abdulmutalib Adamu who represented the Local Government Chairman, thanked the organizers of the programme and the participants, saying the enthusiasm shown, was a clear indication that couples in the area would embrace child spacing.
“On our part, the local government will create the enabling environment with every necessary support to this advocacy group for the success of family planning in this local government area. The council chairman has the political will,” the Director assured.
Also speaking, Village Head of Makera in Tudun Wada, Alhaji Rilwan Bello thanked organisers of the Town Hall meeting and described the enlightenment exercise as ”laudable as it deals with the health of women”.
“As you can see, my people are favourably disposed to this programme. That’s why you see market women and men also, abandoning their wares to attend this meeting,” We will continue to lend our support to achieve the desired goals just as we did to polio,” the village head said.
Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, described it as an “eye opener” and that they have learnt a lot from the panellists taking into consideration the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria.
