THE consensus among stakeholders working around reproductive health is that tackling the menace of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Nigeria will require stakeholders to build collaboration and networks in order to address the problem effectively.
The stakeholders, speaking at the National Forum on Unintended Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion in Nigeria, organised by the Partnership for Advancing Abortion in Nigeria (PAARRUAN), with support from the Guttmacher Institute of the United States of America, said the coalition will not only ensure that unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion gain attention, but will also afford to share talents, skills and resources to effect change.
It was coordinated by the consortium of the Centre for Research, Evaluation, Resources and Development (CRERD) and the Academy for Health Development (AHEAD), both in Nigeria, with support from the Guttmacher Institute of the United States of America.
Leading the call, a Senior Research Fellow at Guttmacher Institute, Dr Akinrinola Bankole, said in a keynote address that unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion are common phenomenon and a major reproductive health problems increasing steadily in Nigeria.
Dr Bankole said such a coalition of stakeholders will not only motivate a strategic and concerted resolution of the problem at hand, ensure a mutual sense of ownership and commitment among several people and groups, but also provide a forum for open discussion to reduce duplication of efforts and resource wastage.
President of the Population Association of Nigeria (PAN), Professor Ebingha Enang, said figures on unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Nigeria are alarming, adding that there is a need for stakeholders to ensure women and adolescents understand why these cases should be reduced and the lives of women are both safe and guaranteed.
Professor Ademola Ajuwon, a public health expert, said in a reaction that the root cause of unintended pregnancy is the non-use of effective contraception, adding that cases have been rising despite increased education and access to family planning services in the country.
He added, “It is better when parents can come down to the level of their children and talk to them sincerely about their challenges, especially sexual challenges and the reality of sex, though it is sometimes difficult, but we should encourage parents to do that, and that is when we can have a change.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Akanni Akinyemi, said the way forward in reducing unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion must be evidence-based, adding further that it must not be done by the government alone but should involve individuals, the community and the family at all levels.
In her presentation, Oyo State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Adeola Awakan, said the state government is trying to ensure that family planning is available to everyone that needs it and where it is needed, as well as continuous efforts to sensitise and educate the people, especially women and girls, on the importance of family planning.
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