To commemorate World Contraception Day 2025, the Lagos State Ministry of Health (LMOH) has urged residents to embrace family planning as a tool to prevent unintended pregnancies and safeguard the wellbeing of families.
This charge was given over the weekend, as the ministry took to the streets of Alausa in a sensitisation walk, distributing free contraceptives and engaging the public on the importance of reproductive health.
The World Contraception Day, commemorated annually on September 26, is observed globally to improve awareness of birth control methods and to promote informed choices about reproductive health.
According to them, the walk was part of the state’s broader campaign to raise awareness about reproductive health rights and ensure that children are born into homes where they are planned, loved, and adequately cared for.
Speaking during the exercise, Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Ministry, Dr. Oludara Folashade, stressed that no child should be brought into the world as a mistake. She explained that contraception offers individuals and couples the freedom to enjoy intimacy without the fear of unplanned pregnancies. “Every baby deserves to be wanted. A child should be the fruit of love, not the consequence of unintended pregnancy.”
She noted that the state has invested heavily in making a wide range of contraceptives available across health facilities, supported by development partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Challenge Initiative. Through last-mile distribution systems, she explained, residents can access methods that best suit their health profiles after proper counselling.
She further emphasised that both men and women have options for permanent solutions such as vasectomy or bilateral tubal ligation when they have completed their families, stressing that these procedures do not affect sexual health or enjoyment.
On concerns around adolescent access to family planning, Folashade maintained that young people who are already sexually active should not be denied contraception. Instead, she urged parents to prioritise sex education to equip their children with accurate information before they become sexually exposed.
Echoing these views, the Lagos State Family Planning Manager, Dr. Lateefatu Adeleye, highlighted the role of mobile outreach teams in delivering family planning services to underserved communities.
According to her, these mobile teams provide counselling, injectables, and implants at the grassroots, ensuring no resident is left without access.
Adeleye mentioned, “All our services are free. We also run youth-friendly centres where young people are counselled on the ABCs of protection, which is Abstinence, Behavioural change, and Condom use. For those who are sexually active, we encourage parental involvement while offering appropriate family planning methods.”
She added that they are actively addressing myths and misconceptions around contraception through ongoing sensitisation programmes and research-driven interventions.
Reflecting on the importance of the day, Adeleye described family planning as a pathway to a more fulfilling life.
