ABEOKUTA- The Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola has charged all stakeholders in the family planning of the state health sector to join hands in taking the awareness campaign on the benefits of adopting family planning to nooks and crannies of the state.
Ogunsola gave the charge at a three day training on media advocacy for family planning held in Abeokuta in collaboration with Development Communications (DevComs) Network and The Challenge Initiative (TCI) Nigeria.
Ogunsola who was represented by the Director, Primary Healthcare of the Board, Dr Salmat Sanni, said maternal health was very important for the state government to reduce maternal mortality.

He said to further deepen awareness on importance of family planning among Nigeria populace, all stakeholders in the health sector must join hands together, especially with media practitioners to take the campaign to the grassroot.

He said, journalists should assist in sensitising the public on the benefits of adopting family planning methods.

He emphasized the role of family planning in national development, which he described as one of the
paramount factors towards Nigeria’s quest to achieve SDGs.

“Family planning practice will go a long way in achieving some of the SDGs, especially in the areas of eradicating poverty, zero hunger, improved good health and well-being, as well as access to quality education” .

On her part, the State Coordinator, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) Adebusola Oyeyemi, said family planning would improve girl-child education, saying it would enable them to be knowledgeable on sex education, which would reduce risk of teenage pregnancy.

She added that it would also increase good health and well-being as well as reduce maternal mortality rate in the State.

Oyeyemi noted that to achieve the set targets, barriers to family planning methods, choice and use must be eliminated.

Also speaking, the Media Advocacy Consultant, DEVCOMS Network, Mayowa Adeniran, while
educating the participants on the role of media in information dissemination, advised media to use their platforms to encourage people to adopt family planning.

He emphasized that the media needed to do more in dispelling certain myths and misconceptions about family planning.