No fewer than 42 per cent of women in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria, suffer physical or verbal abuse, stigma or discrimination during childbirth.
According to new evidence from a World Health Organisation (WHO)-led study, published October 9, 2019 in the journal Lancet, more than one-third of women in the four lower-income countries experienced mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities.

A major barrier to accessing family planning commodities in the country is the out-of-pocket cost of consumables, especially at the local government supported primary healthcare centres (PHCs). But increasing budget lines for family planning as well their timely release would make needed services more accessible. APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

Living in Nigeria with a growing population estimated at 198 million by the National Population Commission (NpopC), it is common to hear about advocacy groups promoting the use of family planning to curb the exponential population.

• Experts Call For Timely Release Of FP Fund, Youthful Enlightenment
The Federal Government’s target of reducing the high maternal and infant mortality rate by achieving a 27 percent modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) by 2020 remains a daunting task as the year winds down.
Meanwhile, the country’s maternal mortality remains one of the highest in the world with 576 deaths per 100,000 live births according to Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS, 2013).

An NGO, Development Communications Network (Devcoms), says majority of young people in Nigeria are not empowered with quality information to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
Mr Akin Jimoh, DevComs Programme Director, made the assertion on Wednesday in Lagos.