A three-day training on Media Advocacy for Effective Family Planning has commenced in Awka, Anambra State Capital.
The training organised by Development Communications Network, DEVCOMS, in collaboration with The Challenge Initiative, TCI, has its participants drawn from the media, social media influencers and Information Officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Speaking on the occasion, a Media Focal Person of DEVCOMS, Franca Madike, described family planning as a development issue, bearing in mind the implications and problems of not taking such issue seriously which include population explosion and other health challenges.
Mr Adeniran intimated that the workshop aims at equipping participants with the nitty gritty of family planning to be able to also impact same on the citizens to understand and appreciate the essence as well make the right choices and key into the programme.
He regretted societal challenges facing Nigeria due to planlessness.
Citing an example of some of the advantages of planning, Mr Adeniran made reference to Dubai, stating that the country could achieve such massive transformation within a few years because it took time to plan.
He enjoined the citizens to plan their families to be able to give their children the best as well as enjoy better life with sound health, rather than breeding children they can not cater for Who would in turn become a menace to society.
The Media Development Facilitator encouraged couples to plan their families by adopting any of the various family planning options that suitsthem, stressing also that it is a matter of choice and not an imposition.
In her presentation, the State Family Planning Coordinator, Chioma Okedo, said family planning which is one of the aspects of safe motherhood, is a global approach towards reducing maternal mortality.
She informed that the purpose of the programme was to ensure that women of reproductive age can access family planning advice and methods, to check unplanned pregnancy and deaths related to childbearing.
Okedo posited that Family planning is the right of every woman of reproductive age which is from 15 to 49 years.
She expressed worries that religious and cultural barriers to family planning have inhibited couples adopting family planning methods.
Also contributing, the TCI Program Coordinator in Anambra State, Aneotah Egbe, pointed out that TCI is partnering on the project, by reaching out to all stakeholders such as the media, community leaders and other individuals and groups to assist in enlightening, educating, sensitizing and mobilizing the the target groups to be better informed towards family planning to reap its numerous benefits.
Throwing more light on the “TCI Business Unusual Model” to Family Planning, Mr Egbe explained that The Business Unsual model is a slogan which tends to draw government’s attention towards it responsibilities and the need to strengthen its facilities and projects to serve their purposes and live up to expectations.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, represented by the Director, Public Health and Disease Control in the Ministry, Dr Uchechukwu Onyejimbe, posited that the reason for targeting information managers was to ensure proper information dissemination.
According to him, people have to be informed to know, therefore, information is necessary for the citizens to know and access health services to enjoy the benefits.
The Desk Officer, Franca Madike, expressed hope that the aim of the training would be achieved considering the zeal exhibited by the participants and the resource persons and thanked all for their contributions.
Question and answer session also featured during the exercise.
