Family planning rates in Akwa Ibom and other states are raising concerns

According to OBASANJO NEWS24, family planning is still below average in Akwa Ibom State and certain other regions of the nation.

This is not unrelated to ignorance, urban legends, false beliefs, and religion.

This has made it challenging for Nigeria to fulfil the international commitment it made in 2012 with other nations to reach a Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (MCPR) of 27% among all women by 2020.

The Federal Ministry of Health has set a target for Akwa Ibom of 30% by 2030, but the state is having difficulty meeting this goal.

Currently, 19.8% is the State’s percentage.

The estimated population of Akwa Ibom is 6,534,782 million, according to figures from the 2006 census. According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), there are an estimated 1,437,652 women in reproductive age (15–49 years), or 22% of the country’s total population. Of those, an estimated 215,090 women in reproductive age currently use a modern family planning method.

Family Planning (FP) was recognised by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health as a method to limit the population explosion and lower the high mother and infant death rate because it had been predicted that the country would experience a population explosion.

During the Breakthrough Action-Nigeria (BA-N) Media review meeting in Uyo, the Family Planning Coordinator of the Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency (AKSPHCDA), Mrs. Enobong Eshiet, encouraged women and couples to voluntarily choose family planning services for their financial and physical well-being.

She declared, “I’m not content with the State’s uptake rate because we fell short of our goal.

“The federal ministry of health has set a target of 30% by 2030, however Akwa Ibom State now has a Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) of just 19.8%. Therefore, there is still more work to perform to reach the goal.

One Ekemini Akpabio, referred to as “Nma Uyo” in one of the communities in Akwa Ibom, revealed in an interview that she was not aware of family planning services until she gave birth to her seventh child (albeit she experienced a stillbirth), which nearly claimed her life.

The mother of six claims, “At first, I was not aware of family planning. Nobody brought up the subject with me. I fry akara and my husband fixes bicycles in Itam Market to support my family.

“I gave birth to all of my children in our community’s traditional birthing facilities, but unfortunately or fortunately, I had a very difficult pregnancy with my seventh kid.

The woman where I went to give birth tried her best, but even when labour started, the baby did not come out. I was directed to the medical facility. When I finally gave delivery with God’s assistance, the baby had already passed away from fatigue.

Nma Uyo went on to say that following the tragedy, one of the nurses introduced her to a family planning regimen and suggested that she return for it once she had recovered from the grief associated with losing a child.

She admitted that she did not have the expected support from her spouse, but she added that since choosing to have an implant, she has never looked back.

She continued by saying that the incident had occurred five years prior and that she had never become pregnant. She also said that she is slowly regaining her physique.

But unlike Nma Uyo, Mr. Edikan’s situation might not be the result of ignorance or a lack of knowledge.

Edikan, a preacher and father of three girls, claimed it goes against his faith to use modern family planning techniques. His daughters range in age from 1 to 4 years old.

He responded, “Why should I stop the gift of God? Only God can truly give children. (He laughs.)”

The problem is that, although my wife and I are aware of family planning, we have decided to have children annually so that she may rest and we can plan how to take care of ourselves.

When asked if they would use modern family planning techniques when they had finished having children, he replied, “We will work according to our belief, so don’t worry.”

Investigations found that due to cultural stigma and preconceptions, unmarried women of reproductive age who participate in active sex rarely use family planning services.

Due to this, there are many street children, a high prevalence of abortion, which occasionally results in maternal mortality, and economic risks.

However, Mrs. Eshiet asked religious and community leaders to counsel and promote a behavioural shift in their followers’ perceptions of family planning at the BA-N Media meeting. She also called for intensive media exposure for family planning.

She listed the various modern family planning options that are currently available, including male and female condoms, pills like Microgynon (COC) and Exluton (POP), injectables like Noristerat (which lasts for two months), DMPA IM (which lasts for three months), and DMPA SC Self Injection (which lasts for three months), and implants (which last for three to five years).

But she dispelled the fallacy that any young woman who utilises family planning won’t have kids when she’s ready.

She advised couples to visit medical centres for the best guidance and information.

“There are so many advantages that those who continue to be afraid of or have misconceptions about family planning should not be alarmed. They should go to health facilities to receive appropriate services and information.

“Religious and community leaders should encourage their members, both men and women, to embrace family planning services,” she suggested.