By Auwal Mohammed
The Chairman of Gombe state Maternal and Newborn Child Health Coalition (MNCHC)i Alhassan Yahya, has said that as long as the rise in maternal mortality remains unchecked, “there will be continuous increase in maternal mortality and poverty in Nigeria.”
Yahya who stated this while speaking during the joint press briefing between Coalition and National Population Commission to mark 2017 World Population Day on Tuesday, said a situation in which access to family planning information and services is severely limited is unacceptable.
He maintained that access to safe, voluntary family planning is a human right which is central to gender equality and women empowerment.
Yahya decried the low budgetary provision for family planning services in Gombe State, as well as shortage and unequal distribution of trained health professionals in the state.
The MNCHC chairman called for the creation of a budget line for family planning in the 2017 supplementary budget as well as in the 2018 budget.
He equally urged communities in the state to ward off misconception and baseless myths about birth control.
Also speaking Gombe State Director of the National Population Commission (NPC) has expressed concern over the low access to child spacing facilities in the State.
While noting that the population of the country remains the greatest asset in the quest for sustainable development, Ibrahim said however that this capacity is being undermined by their continued exposure to preventable maternal, unsafe abortions and early pregnancy.
He lamented that the issue is further worsened by resistance to family planning and child spacing have been deeply rooted in the peoples cultural prejudices, as well as religious injunctions.
“There is the urgent need to save our women and girl-child from the agonies of unwanted pregnancies and accord them rightful place in the development process through a fundamental shift in attitudes towards family planning,” Ibrahim said.
He said this year’s theme for the WPD, Family Planning, birthday: Empowering People: Developing Nations, is aimed at sensitizing the general public on the need to embrace family planning and child spacing as well as advocate for policy makers to mobilize resources in order access to family planning services.