By Taiwo Adeyemi

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate World Population Day, a Public Health practitioner has reiterated the importance of family planning in controlling over population.

Aminat Yusuf, head of family planning campaign unit in Kwara State Ministry of Health gave the remark while featuring as a guest on Diamond 88.7FM, Ilorin, Kwara State popular Yoruba Language News and Current Affairs programme “E ba wa da si”.

Amina Yusuf, Public Health Practitioner.

United Nations has declared every July 11th each year as World Population Day, this year theme is “leave no one behind, count everyone”.

Yusuf maintained that having unplanned children is a bane to national development and puts huge burden on the nation’s scare resources.

She said “having unplanned children contribute greatly to social vices like crime, because children that lack proper parental care and monitoring will later constitute nuisance to the society”. 

“This will also affect accessing and utilizing public amenities like hospitals, schools, etc because most of the facilities are designed for limited users”. 

Yusuf furthered that family planning has no hazard effects on women if it is properly administered and used according to health practitioners instructions.

“There are many misconceptions about family planning, like it makes a woman to be fat, excessive lost of blood, its failure in preventing unwanted pregnant and cause infertility after usage”. 

“It’s imperative to visit a registered family planning administrator in a recognized health center to ascertain a particular type of family planning that suit each person”.

“One of the challenges we are facing is that our people will just ask their friends about a particular family planning they are using and start using it, they will be diagnosed before a particular family planning is being administered”. 

She emphasized that there are different family planning that suit each individual.

“We have one that is a daily dose for 30 days, one that is an injection for three months to six months, etc”

“If one should miss two doses the best thing is to use condom while having intercourse and report to the nearest health center to see certified family planning administrator for next line of action”. 

“But some women will continue using it or have an intercourse during the period they failed to take their pills and this might lead to unwanted pregnants, they will later say that family planning failed”.

Yusuf reiterated that the important of family planning for family and the society at large can never be overemphasized”. 

“Family Planning is very useful for a woman to regain strength lost during pregnancy and breast feeding, it also plays a crucial role in improving intimacy between husband and wife/”. 

“Couples can have intercourse at their leisure time without fear of unwanted pregnancy”. 

She called on husbands to be very supportive in assisting their wives in getting appropriate family planning.

“Nothing is bad if husband drives the wife to the health center for family planning, husbands can also be helpful by reminding wives about taking their pills or going for periodic appointments”.

“Husbands should be very supportive to their wives in getting family planning, this is very essential for the wellbeing of the family, prevent unwanted pregnancies and this will play crucial roles in stabilizing the family financial status”.

She lauded the effort of the Kwara State Government led by Governor Abudulraman Abdulrasaq giant strides in providing family planning free in all the state owned hospital.

“The State Governorment led by Governor Abudulraman Abdulrasaq has provided family planning in all state owned hospitals across the states, both Primary Health Centers ans General hospitals”.

“Relocating within the State or outside Kwara State won’t stop any woman from accessing it, one should just present the hospital card at any government owned hospital, the procedure will continue”.

Yusuf also commended The Challenge Initiative, TCI for supporting the state government in supplying of family planning consumables.

“TCI has been supportive in supplying family planning consumables and it has been useful for our people”.