6.5MILLION NIGERIAN WOMEN NOW USE MODERN CONTRACEPTIVES — FAMILY PLANNING REPORT

The survey was conducted in the world’s 69 lowest-income countries of which Nigeria, is one of them, while the report shows that 314 million women and girls are now using modern contraception, with 53 million new users in the last seven years, and nine million in the past year alone.

Penpushing further reports that, with the survey this implies that more women and girls have access to family planning than ever before, adding that, while Nigeria has over 6.5 million women using a modern method of contraception, there is no cause for the country to celebrate as there are still lots of women who are yet to be covered.

The report which shows that there has been an upward trend in the use of modern contraceptive among women in Nigeria, but the total number of people who have imbibed the practice is still said to be very low.

Penpushing also reports that, Nigeria was part of the first group of countries to commit to theFamily Planning 2020 partnership when it launched in 2012, and since then, the country has made steady progress toward increased use of family planning.

The report estimates that as a result of modern contraceptive use in the country, over 2.3 million unintended pregnancies have been prevented, and equally showed that over 800,000 unsafe abortions and 13,000 maternal deaths have been averted in the last year alone.

The report indicated that Nigeria is working with key stakeholders to address socio-cultural norms to address family planning issues such as: preference for large families, religious tenets, and women’s lack of decision-making power related to sexual and reproductive health.

Penpushing reports that, the survey indicated that, despite the progress,, Nigeria is the second slowest growing country in West Africa “when it comes to the uptake of modern contraception”, and in  Nigeria, a woman gives birth to an average of 5.5 children in her lifetime.

The reports has it that, population of women of reproductive age in Nigeria makes up roughly half of all women of reproductive age West Africa, noting that,“although Nigeria’s modern contraceptive prevalence rate (MCPR) is growing at roughly the average rate of FP2020 focus countries as a whole – 0.3 percentage points per year – Nigeria remains the second slowest growing country in West Africa,”.

The Executive Director of Family Planning (FP) 2020, Beth Schlachter, pointed out that the evidence is clear that “when women get access to contraceptive products, it has a positive impact on their total wellbeing”.

“The evidence is clear – when you invest in women and girls, the good deed never ends. Barriers are broken and opportunities open up that not only lift women out of poverty but can elevate society and bring about economic gains. No other single change can do more to improve the state of the world.”

Penpushing reports that, Schlachter said though family planning has gained huge momentum 25 years from the first International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), “there are still some challenges.”

Her words,, “25 years on from the first ICPD, the family planning movement has gained huge momentum. Yet, big challenges remain. With every day that passes, millions are denied the right to choose their own future. As we look ahead to 2030, we must continue to push for progress, build on what works well, and ensure we leave no woman or girl behind.”