From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The use of male condoms has been identified as the leading method of Family Planning (FP) otherwise called Child Birth Spacing in Gombe state.
According to medical experts, the campaign for Child Birth Spacing (CBS) is gaining momentum in the state. Pointing to the movement of the state in Contraceptive Prevalence Rate from 4 per cent in 2013 to 17.0 per cent in 2018.
The experts linked the success recorded to an increase in awareness creation activities across the state in the last few years.
A document on FP situation in Gombe State indicates that the use of a male condom was on top among other methods available in the state.
The document which was presented at a meeting by the State FP coordinator, Saadatu Omar Sambo stated that about 164, 928 male condoms were distributed from January to July 2021, across the state.
She explained that 19, 763 female condoms were distributed during the period under review. She added that other methods such as implants and injectable were 19, 739 and 12, 481 respectively.
Saadatu said that clients given oral pills were 12, 592 while the number of Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) consumed in the period was 2, 024.
While counting and commending the state government and other partners for the success recorded in the state, the coordinating identified low in release of budgeted funds as well as poor logistics provision and stock-outs on commodities and consumables as a major challenge facing the program.
Daily Sun gathered that of the over N60 million budgeted for CBS activities in the 2021 budget of the state, the government has not released anything.
According to the chairman of an Advocacy Working Group (AWG), a group set up to advocate for the uptake of CBS in Gombe state, Malam Alhassan Yahya, non-release of budgeted funds was a major challenged for the smooth running of the program.
He told Daily Sun that, “We will not relent, we will continue to work toward that to make sure that before the end of the year we are able to achieve at least fifty per cent of the appropriated funds are released”.
“As a team with the support from our partners like Marie Stopes, Pathfinder and others, we will create a lot of sensitization and advocacy on how to generate the memos requesting for the release of the appropriated funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the State” he added.
Speaking on the benefit of CBS, 27 years old Sadiya Musa, explained that the use of contraceptive has helped her in the spacing of her children.
“I am enjoying child spacing for over five years now and is proving to be healthier in me than having a child by chance. It does not just help in keeping the woman healthy but the family as well,” she said.
Sadiya said she has a piece of advice for women still struggling with the decision to enrol for any child spacing methods, “My advice to them is to key into child spacing for their health and that of their children”.