It’s social, cultural, legal issue—WARDC

Achieving MDG 5 vital—DevComs Network

Empower women to make decision on pregnancy—Gynaecologist

By Chioma Obinna

As Nigerian women joined the rest of the world to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, medical experts and partners on the NOTAGAIN Campaign have called for effective implementation of policies and commitments that promote rights and access to quality maternal health and family planning services.

Statistics available have shown that Nigeria currently has an unmet need of 16 percent for family planning among currently married women and 53 percent of women complain of at least one problem in accessing health care.

According to the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, NDHS, 2013, Nigeria recorded slight improvement in access to antenatal care— the proportion of women receiving antenatal care from a skilled provider is 61 percent compared to 58 percent in 2008.

Family Planning Vision 2020

In a message to mark the International Women’s Day in Lagos, the Advocacy Advisor, Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI, Ms. Charity Ibeawuchi, noted that Nigeria joined the world at the London Summit in 2012 to commit to achieving the Global FP (Family Planning) Vision 2020, which aims at supporting the rights of women and girls to decide freely and for themselves, whether, when and how many children to have.

Ibeawuchi urged government at all levels and partners to work together to ensure that Nigeria’s goal of 36 percent Contraceptive Prevalence Rate is achieved by 2018.

She said: “Culturally appropriate information and facts about family planning and its benefits should be widely available to all. In particular, the youth should know all about FP well before they engage in active family life.

“It is only when young women begin early to know their reproductive health that they can genuinely achieve responsible family life. When all families are planned, the larger society will begin to also plan its affairs and eventually achieve development.”

On MDGs

On the Millennium Development Goals,MDGs, 5, she said with less than 297 days left to the deadline, Nigeria is still far from achieving the MDGs 5, which aims at reducing by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio, MMR and achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health.

Commenting on Nigeria’s high maternal mortality ratio, the Programme Officer, Media, Development Communications, DevComs Network, Mr. Ayodele Adesanmi, said Nigeria must intensify efforts towards achieving MDG 5.

According to him, this means intensifying efforts made regarding Midwives Service Scheme, MSS, orientation of public, wide adoption of free maternal and child health programmes, increased funding of maternal health programmes, tracking and learning from causes of maternal deaths, and something very innovative.

WARDC

The Executive Director, Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, described maternal health issue as a host of human rights issues, including social, cultural, legal and accountability issues.

She said: “In the past, people look at the issue of maternal health from medical point of view.

“However, if you do not situate it between the human right discourses, you may not be able to have a holistic understanding of what maternal health is and the implication of maternal health.

“When you situate it in that manner you will be able to understand that maternal health is a social, cultural and legal issue. It is an issue of accountability.”

Empowering women

On his part, a Consultant Gynaecologist and Technical Adviser to DevComs Network on Health Matters, Dr. Adeleke Kaka, called for actions to empower women, adding that, empowering women would make them to decide when to get pregnant or not.

The International Women’s Day 2015, celebrated annually on March 8 all over the world, seeks to encourage effective action for advancing and recognizing women through the theme Make it Happen.