Media advocacy training instituted by Development Communications (DEVCOMS) Network and The Challenge Initiative (TCI).

Journalists in Bauchi State have been urged to sensitise families on the importance of child spacing.

The call was made by the Coordinator, DEVCOMS, Akinlolu Akinpelumi, recently during a three-day training for journalists in Bauchi State.

Stressing that as critical stakeholders in creating enabling environment and disseminating useful information to community members, he said journalists should be up and doing.

Development Communication Network in Partnership with Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative carried out a Courtesy Visit to News Agency of Nigeria, Lagos Office. The visit was carried out to promote Family Planning services which can be used as a strategy to reduce Maternal Mortality in Nigeria. There is need to increase the visibility of Family Planning stories in the paper and Development Communication Network (DEVCOMS) is hoping to achieve this by  carrying out the advocacy visit and meeting with the stakeholders.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Edward Kalllon, has called for a renewed commitment to champion advocacy for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
 
Kalllon made the call at the Memorial Service organised  by the UN system in Nigeria on Friday in Abuja to honor late Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin.
 
Osotimehin, who until his death was the Executive Director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA), died on June 4 in Harrison, New York, at the age of 68.
 

Nigeria’s population continues to increase rapidly with no commensurate development in health care service delivery. With a current estimated population of 186 million and an annual growth rate of about 2.5%, Nigeria’s huge population, fuelled by high birth rate without good family planning, can be a huge burden with resultant poor health indices such as high maternal and infant deaths. Nigeria’s maternal and child deaths is one of the highest in the world.