Media
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, April 25, 2018(NAN) Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) has called on media organisations to support the implementation of the renewed Nigeria Family Planning 2020 commitment.
Dr Ejike Oji, Chairman, Technical Management Committee, AAFP, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, that the media had a vital role to play in terms of advocacy and accountability.
The renewed Nigeria Family Planning 2020 commitment is focused on expanding access to family planning, to help reduce maternal mortality as well as other negative health, social, environmental and economic outcomes.
The Minister Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, at the FP2020 Summit in London in 2017, had set target for Nigeria to achieve a modern contraceptive rate of 27 per cent among all women by 2020.
This was a reduction from a previous target of 36 per cent by 2018 set at a previous FP summit in London.
Nigeria at the 2017 FP2020 London Summit also said it would increase its annual allocation for contraceptives to $4 million.
Oji said: “The media can help to mitigate complications of pregnancy and childbirth, through media advocacy for increased funding for health and programme implementation by government at all levels.
“On July 11, 2017, at the FP2020 summit London, Nigeria joined other member countries of the FP2020 global community to renew commitment to reducing maternal and child deaths.
“This would be done by expanding access of modern contraceptives to additional 120million women and girls by the year 2020 through collaborative efforts of the government and key stakeholders.’’
Oji told NAN that as 2020 approaches, the association relied on the media to continuously remind government and other stakeholders on the need for full implementation of FP2020 commitment.
“The media should advocate for adequate funding for health by ensuring that Nigerian government improves annual budgetary allocations to health and release funds on time for family planning programmes.
“The media can write news and feature stories that encourage cooperate social responsibility initiative directed at funding national, states and local government FP related programmes and services.
“They can place FP issues on the front burner of public discourse by doing sustained analyses of strategic contents of the Nigeria family planning blue print.
“Also, by advocating for implementation of FP programmes and to celebrate success stories and positive policies, programmes, funding and budgetary landmarks in FP.’’
Orji, however, said that women’s ability to space and limit her pregnancies had a direct impact on their health and wellbeing as well as on the outcome of each pregnancy.
He said that FP had direct positive impact on the health of the family and consequently, the economy of the nation as a whole.
“In taking up the mantle, media professionals will among many things, have professional fulfilment from contributing positively to solving a major crisis responsible for the death of thousands of women and children.
“The lives of Nigerian women and neonates (newborn) depend on you, the media.’’ (NAN)
TIM/VIV/DUA
Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Dada Ahmed