Enugu, medical experts sensitise mothers to family planning

Illustration: wholemotheringcenter

The Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ESPHCDA), in partnership with medical experts and Society for Family Health, has sensitised hundreds of nursing mothers and pregnant women across the state to the importance of family planning and the need to dispel the myths surrounding contraceptive usage.

The sensitisation drive was conducted during an outreach to various health care centres by health teams that visited key primary healthcare facilities across the state capital, including Ugbo Owa Health Centre, Ikirike Health Centre, and the Railway Clinic in the state capital.

At the Ugbo Owa Health Centre, the State Health Educator from the ESPHCDA, Mrs. Stella Ani, emphasised that family planning is safe and crucial for economic stability and child welfare.

Ani said, “Family planning is safe and will only help you plan your family to have as many children as you can cater for at your convenience. Having children is not something you should do by mistake; it is something you need to plan and prepare well for before the baby arrives so that you can take care of them as expected.”

Addressing widespread fears regarding side effects and infertility, Ani explained that trained counsellors are stationed across primary health centres to guide women based on their medical history and physical traits.

“There are misconceptions that family planning prevents women from having further children, which is untrue. Once you discontinue whichever method you adopted, you can conceive again.

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 We have trained counsellors who explain hormonal and non-hormonal options. Some methods may not suit individuals with high blood pressure or those who are overweight, which is why proper counselling is mandatory,’ Ani added,

Also speaking, a medical practitioner frim the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Douglas Nwagbo, noted that the initiative aimed to dismantle cultural and religious myths hindering birth control adoption in the country.

“Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa largely because of unplanned pregnancies. Given the current economic situation, it is no longer just about giving birth to many children, but about providing quality healthcare and education for them,” Nwagbo said.

Nwagbo advocated the adoption of self-administered injectable contraceptives and stressed the importance of spousal involvement in family planning decisions.

Testifying to the efficacy of birth control, a mother of six and recipient of a five-year contraceptive implant, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwankwo, shared her experience, urging other women to adopt family planning methods with their husbands’ support.

“I have been using the five-year family planning method and have not experienced any negative side effects. When I was ready to have another child, I simply had it removed and got pregnant without any challenges. Now that I have six children, my husband and I have agreed that this four-month-old baby will be our last, and I will be renewing my five-year plan to ensure we properly train the children we already have,” Nwankwo said.