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From: Gyang Bere, Jos
Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Eze Duruiheoma, said that the contraceptives provided by United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) prevented 3.1 million unsafe abortion in 2016.
Chief Duruiheoma stated this in Jos, on Tuesday, through the Plateau State Director of NPC, Alh. Sale Abdul Gahmbazai, to marked the 2017 World Population Day, tag “Family Planning, Birth Spacing: Empowering People, Developing Nations.”
“Family Planning and child spacing are personal decisions but their profound implications on the health, economic and social well-being of the society are far reaching. In 2016, contraceptives provided by UNFPA had the potential to prevent 11. 7 million unintended pregnancies, close to 3.7 million unsafe abortions and prevented an estimated 29, 000 maternal deaths.
“Some family planning methods, such as condoms, help prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Family planning/ contraception reduces the need for abortion, especially unsafe abortion.”
He said an estimated 225 million women in developing countries delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception.
Chief Duruiheoma noted that most women with an unmet demand for contraceptives lives by averting 60 million unintended pregnancies around the world and reducing maternal deaths by one third of the estimated 303,000 maternal deaths that occurred in 2016.
He lamented that lack of access to family planning services by women in the country has increase the rate of maternal mortality, unsafe abortions, and early pregnancy which deny them the pursuit of educational and economic opportunities.
He called on religious leaders, traditional rulers and community leaders to promote the utilisation of family planning services for the sake of building a healthy and prosperous society.
