Access to family planning services: Gombe records significant increase
Gombe state had recorded a significant increase in the number of women accessing family planning services says officials.
Some of the facility heads who spoke to newsmen in Gombe on Friday said following sensitization and home visit,the number of women accessing the service increased significantly.
Malama Aisha Usman facility Manager Tudun Wada Primary health care facility said prior to the sensitization and home visit they were recording 30 to 40 clients monthly but now they were recording over 100 clients monthly.
She said with the home visit they were able to convince spouses of their client on the importance of spacing birth and the benefit attached to it.
According to her,Family planning offers many benefits, including empowering women to choose how many children they have, better health and survival of mothers and children, a reduction in poverty, and a better educated population.
She said they have supply of commodities in sufficient quantity and most of their clients prefer in-plan and injectable because they react to other methods of the family planning.
According to her, some of the women were even coming to the clinic without their spouses’ consent ,but they were educating them about the dangers of not informing their spouses before subscribing to the service.
Hajiya Amina Nuhu in-charge of Kunbiya-Kunbiya Primary Health facility said on monthly basis they were recording over 200 women who were first timers and those that were coming for follow up.
She attributed the increase in patronage to awareness campaign and availability of the Family planning commodities which they have in sufficient quantity.
She further appealed to relevant authorities to ensure timely supply of commodities which in turn attract clients.
Hajiya Halima Sunusi, in-charge Malam-Inna Primary Health Care facility said previously they were recording 20 or even less than that number monthly but with sensitization and home visit they were now recording 40 to 50 women on monthly basis.
She called on married men, to embrace family planning service ,allow their spouse to subscribe to it because of the benefits attached to it.
Aisha Mohamed who is a client, said she had benefited a lot since she embraced the services and she and her two kids were healthy.
Mal.Usman Mohammed Aisha’s spouse, said he was now familiar with the numerous benefits of Family planning, hence, charged other married men to support their spouses to access such services.