How prevalence of family planning tools is reducing maternal mortality in Nasarawa

Medical practitioners in Nasarawa have attributed the drop in maternal mortality rate in the state to the influx of women patronising family planning facilities.

A field assessment of some state primary health centres in Doma, Nasarawa Eggon and Lafia local councils have shown that over 100 women, including youths now patronise family planning facilities regularly. Mrs. Aishatu Adeka, the Officer in-Charge, of Doma primary health care noted that abortion-related cases have suddenly dropped among married and the unmarried young female adults following adoption of family planning in most homes in the local government.

According to Adeka, some religious views and erroneous myth many people hold about the use of family planning is fast eroding in the state.

“Some people used to say that when you use family planning it can lead to barrenness and other complication in women. Now people know that family planning does not cause barrenness but only help the users make choice on when and when not to get pregnancy.”

Mrs. Mary Johnson, a 40-year-old married woman who practices family planning testified at the Nasarawa Eggon primary health care facility, saying she started using implant method of family planning since three years ago. She testified that pregnancy is now a matter of choice without fear.

Johnson, however, said that though the family panning method she is using is not without complications, but it got nipped in the bud by her health personnel when she reported to them about her back pain.

Mrs. Jumai Omaku, a family planning health worker at the Doma primary health care centre, said more than 100 women, including female youths visit the facility to access family planning services monthly.

Mrs. Omaku explained that the awareness about family planning is usually carried out through personal contact with women by facilitators and volunteers who reach out to women in their homes.

Interestingly, Mrs. Adeka said even male youths visit the facility to collect male condoms constantly. All the family planning facilities visited attested that the various family planning types are in surplus supply by the Society for Family Health (SFH) and other donor partners with the state government and given free of charge to clients.

She, however, said that the commonly used family planning type is the injectable, noting that most women prefer that because its complications are mild depending on the individuals.

She appealed to women who have benefited from family planning to inform others who may not have knowledge about the health benefits.

She also warned family planning users to report back to the facility when they noticed any complications arising from usage of any of the methods.