The Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), in collaboration with the Gombe State Government, has enhanced the skills of doctors, nurses, midwives, and Community Health Extension Workers(CHEWs) across the state on Family Planning Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (FP/LARCS) through a five-day intensive training as part of its “Together For Healthy Families in Nigeria Project(THFN).

During the closing of the training, the Country Director of Rotary Nigeria, Professor Emmanuel Lufadeju, stated that the project’s goal is to improve maternal, reproductive, and child health in Nigeria, emphasising that a high birth rate endangers the lives of mothers and ultimately increases maternal and infant mortality.

He added that when women have uninterrupted pregnancies without spacing, it increases the risk of birth-related complications in their subsequent pregnancies, which also endangers the lives of their babies.

In their remarks, the Executive Secretary of Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdurahman Shuaibu, and Gombe State Rotary Representative, Mr Mohammed Dantata Ndus, who is also the Permanent Secretary of Gombe State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development, commended Rotary’s ongoing efforts to improve maternal healthcare in the state.

They urged the participants to make the best use of the knowledge and practices gained during the training to guide the public on effective family planning.

They also encouraged them to build their confidence and competence in delivering quality child-spacing services.

According to them, the Family Planning Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive training aimed to improve access to family planning services and reduce the country’s unacceptably high maternal mortality rate.

“It sought to address the unmet need for contraceptives, providing effective options that cater to diverse needs. The goal was to educate women and men about available choices, enabling them to prevent unintended pregnancies, space births, or stop childbirth with autonomy and informed decision-making”.

Our correspondent reports that the participants were also engaged in hands-on practical sessions at the Zainab Bulkachuwa Women and Children Hospital, Pantami Primary Health Care Centre, and Town Maternity in the state capital, where they were allowed to render the services learnt during the training.

Participants were selected from Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs) in Kaltungo Local Government, one of the areas where Rotary is implementing Reproductive and Maternal Child Health in the state.