Nigeria can plan better with more budget allocated to family planning - SOGON

Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) says that there is an urgent need for more budgetary allocation to health and family planning to ensure that Nigeria plans better to checkmate its population explosion.

SOGON’s secretary, Professor Christopher Aimakhu, speaking on “Analysis of Family Planning Budget and State of Contraceptive Distribution Logistics in NIgeria” at a two-day virtual training by Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH) for Health Reporters and Features Writers said the decreased allocation and release of funds for family planning in the country is worrisome.

Professor Aimakhu stated that the health benefits of meeting women’s need for family planning include reduction of newborn deaths rate by 85 per cent and healthier babies.

According to him, “We have to have good investments in family planning, as well as good storage facilities and good supervision. We have to deliver good products, right quality and at the right cost to meet demands. We also need to have good documentation.”

He assured that family planning would also avert 829,000 unsafe abortions and prevent about 2.3 million unwanted pregnancies if it was well embraced by families.

Also, Professor Josiah Mutihir, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Jos University Teaching hospital stated that the benefits of contraceptives outweigh its side effects, urging that men refrain from being onlookers while allowing women alone to carry the burden of pregnancy and maternal mortality.

Professor Abubakar Panti, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto said that unmet needs for contraception are a contributory factor to Nigeria’s high maternal deaths.

According to him, “each pregnancy multiples a woman’s chances of dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, maternal mortality rate is particularly high for young and poor women because they lack access to contraceptive services.”