By Mohammed Suleiman
An NGO, The Challenge Initiatives, TCI in collaboration with Development Communications Network, DevComs has held a three- day training for media practitioners, social media influencers on media advocacy for Child birth Spacing and Reproductive Health in Jigawa State.
Participants were trained on writing stories that will increase public awareness and sensitisation on Child Birth Spacing aimed at reducing maternal deaths in the state.
Addressing the participants, DevComs Media Trainer, Mrs Sekyen Dadik, said the workshop was meant to equip journalists, foster media-institutional collaboration, to increase access to accurate Family Planning information and services.
She emphasised on the need for journalists to provide accurate information that “will encourage couples to go to facilities to obtain Child Spacing counselling and services that are reliable, as against relying on rumours and myths.
One of the journalists being presented certificate of participation by Mrs Dadik
Ankale Kongude, the Jigawa TCI State Programme Manager, described Child Spacing as an aspect of safe motherhood that significantly reduces maternal death and therefore called on residents to embrace Child Spacing and the
benefits derivable from such method.
In his remarks, Dr Shehu Sambo, Director, Primary Health Care noted the feat the State has made in Family Planning. He however decried the low Contraceptive Prevalence Rate in the State and called on the media to partner in creating awareness towards increasing the CPR.
Some of the issues identified as factors militating against Family planning services include shortages of FP commodity and limited budgetary allocations.
Participants were taken through different forms of family planning concepts, mode of operations and implementation as well as prospects, problems and solutions profer to issues bordering on family planning.
Also, the need for media involvement in promoting family planning and reproductive health in the state, was highlighted
