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Olabode Adaramola, Niger State
Niger State Ministry of Health and Hospital services, has said that it distributed over 920,000 different kinds of contraceptives as part of it’s Family Planning Programme to avoid unwanted pregnancy and children during the recent lockdown period and containing the spread of pandemic Coronavirus.
The State Coordinator of Family Planning, Mrs. Dorcas Dalhatu made the disclosure on Monday in Minna at the TCI/ The Challenge Initiative Media Roundtable with the Theme: ‘Maintaining Demand for Family Planning Commodities During Covid -19 Lockdown’.
She explained that 920,632, 000 different types of contraceptives were distributed to Public Health Service Providers in the 25 local Government Areas of the state, adding, that the sit at home order by government had brought couples together consistently, thereby responsible for high demand for sex.
The Coordinator noted that family planning commodities distributed within the COVID-19 includes: 11,000 Jadelle, 14,760 Microgyen, 15,000 Nonis, 77,600 vias of Depo, 796,000 Male condoms, 3,072 cycle of Micolit and 3,200 pieces of Sayana pess making it a total of
920,632, 000 distributed.
Mrs. Dalhatu explained further that during the period under review the state’s health facilities requested for more Family Planning Commodities due to higher demand, adding that family planning should not be stopped as government ordered for the supply of the commodities.
She however called for continued Media support in educating, informing and enlightening the general public on the need to adopt family planning especially on it’s benefits to the health of women, family and the entire society.
She pointed out that it was better to save lives through training and educating the youths and adolescents to prevent untimely death through self abortion due to unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancy which can lead to children that will grow without love and become nuisance in the society.
Mrs. Dorcas Dalhatu thereby assured that none of the modern contraceptives have side effects but pointed out that due to body system of individuals there was the need to go to health facilities for tests before adoption of contraceptives, noting that the traditional rulers and religious leaders have been giving their supports to the ministry at the grassroot levels.
She expressed concerns over those who patronized quacks and chemists for family planning advising them to desist from such act because of the dangers involved.
The however revealed that there were emergency contraceptives for the victims of rape to avoid unwanted pregnancy and children.
The Media roundtable which was a follow up of a field trip was heralded by questions and answers after the lectures from the two experts ended with an appeal to the media practitioners to give their maximum support to the family planning and its related matter to ensure a healthy family in Niger state and Nigeria.
