NMA National Calls for Male involvement in Family Planning
The Nigeria Medical Association National Committee on Population and Demographics has organized a community sensitization program to commemorate the World Population Day 2021 with a call for males to be involved in family planning.
The call came just as they revealed that men were key in decision making on health choices of their spouses including family planning choices.
Speaking during the sensitization program held at Isi-gate Umuahia, Abia State, the NMA National Chairman on Population and Demographics, Dr Ejiro Carol Iwuoha, disclosed that more women will embrace family planning options when they have the support of their spouses.
According to her, “Birth control methods for men include use of condoms and Vasectomy which is a permanent method.
She noted, “that we are creating more awareness on this safe and simple method because it has been found to be effective in men and does not have any negative effect on the sexuality of men.
“It is pertinent to highlight the benefit of this method to help change the narrative of the 2018 NDHS that recorded 0% for this method”, she said.
The event which was organized in collaboration with the Abia state Planning Commission and Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria talked on adolescent reproductive health concerns, male involvement in family planning and the impact of covid-19 on family planning.
She revealed that “the world population presently stands at about 7.9 billion while Nigeria population of about 211 million, and this places Nigeria as one of the 10 largest countries in the world”, adding that, ” with the challenges in global and national economies occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic, it is important to address the issue of reproductive choices” she insisted.
She maintained that it is necessary for people to choose when they want to bear their children, revealing that unplanned pregnancies have their toll on the health of women, children, the family and the society at large
To improve outcomes in this regard, she pointed out that, Nigeria with a maternal mortality of 512 out of every100,000 and infant mortality rate of 67 out of every 100 live births, contraceptive prevalence rate of 17% and high unemployment rate will of necessity have need to focus and give more attention to reproductive health issues.
According to her, “it is against this backdrop that the Nigeria medical association, the umbrella body of all medical doctors in Nigeria, is marking the world population day through her national Committee on population and Demographics”.
