Why Family Planning Strives In Taraba Communities Amid Covid-19 Pandemic - By Charles Akpeji, Jalingo


Posted on: Fri 29-01-2021

Despite the unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus in 2019 and it continued spread, family planning as observed by The Guardian, have continued to gain acceptance in the rural communities of the state.

Our correspondent who recently visited some facilities spread across Ardo-Kola local government council of the state, learnt that the feat was made possible following the establishment of a ten man family planning committee in facilities spread across the council and the state at large.

The committee which our correspondent learnt were established by one of the major family planning service provider (The Challenge Initiative), were made up of community leaders among which includes, religious head, monarchs, youth and women leader to mention but just a few.

Confirming the roles being play by the committee in family planning, the family planning focal persons Mayo-Ranewo Primary Health Care Center in Ardo-Kola, Abdul-Razaq Suleiman, said the committee "have made family planning very easy to the extent that the people are not rushing for the services."

Citing how covid-19 almost debarred the people from accessing the facilities for fear of contacting the disease, the committee, as made known by him "have not only succeeded in convincing the people but also as stated by him tread extra legitimate miles to enlighten and sensitized them "on all the precautionary measures of covid-19. "

Also citing how the religion and cultural beliefs of the people almost frustrate the dream of the service provider (TCI) the committee whom according to him have being "working day and night have also helped us in dispelling all the myths and misconceptions that use to surrounds family planning".

Suleiman who now observed that hundreds of women who did not want unplanned pregnancies have continued to access the services, government as pleaded by him, should continue to provide conducive environment for TCI to scale up their services across the state. 

The good tidings surrounding the massive acceptance of the services amidst the virus were not different from that of the Primary Health Care Center located in Iware community of the council, as the two service providers on family Planning, Mrs. Beatrice Kazon and Ibrahim Jalo Bako, as well as the Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairman , Babageri Adamu, admitted that the committee are the reason for the success of family planning services in the state. 

Some of the committee members who took our correspondent down the memory lane , said their efforts have as well gone a long way in encouraging male participation in the services as several males were seen in company of their spouses in most of the facilities. 

Speaking, the family planning committee chairman, in Mayo-Ranewo PHCC, Abubakar Salihu Kabawa, said the committee have resolved among themselves not to go to bed pending when the services are spread across every nooks and crannies of the communities "even the hard-to-reach areas."

Stressing how TCI have being motivating the committee, the need for the state government to as well reciprocate in order to ensure that the services are taken to the doorsteps of the people, he believed have become necessary. 

Further identifying challenges such as insecurity which he envisaged might in future thwart the committee's efforts, government, as suggested by him, should as a matter of urgency fashion out ways of addressing the security challenges presently bedeviling some of the communities and the state at large.

Confirming the efforts of the committee, the state programme coordinator of Dr. Othman Saraki, said the decision to establish the committees in all the family planning facilities across the state, "is to ensure that covid-19 pandemic does not prevent us from taking family Planning services to the people."

END