FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR FAMILY PLANNING TO ACHIEVE VISION 2020 GOAL

The conference organized by Academy for Health Development, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, with the support of The Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale was held at the Otunba Subomi Balogun Conference Center, University of Ibadan.

Penpushing further reports that, the Permanent Secretary said, the Academy for Health Development (AHEAD) is an indigenous Non-Governmental Health Research and Development Management Organisation with core competencies in public health research, training, innovative programing, and evidence informed policy development and advocacy.

 The Permanent Secretary pointed out that, the partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale is a reinvestment health/social accountability project funded by the Bill and Melinda Foundation.

The Director of Reproductive Health at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Afolabi while speaking at the event on behalf of the Permanent Secretary said that the Federal Government  is ready to partner with the Family Support Programmes that is championing the cause of family planning program and other related partnership that are in to family planning program to achieve their setting goals.

Penpushing also reports that, Afolabi described the late Prof. Osotimehin as an icon, which is honored and celebrated during his lifetime and even in his death,adding ‘we are here to celebrate the man of honor, who dedicated his life to the development of the society through his national reproductive health, family planning and well-being of the entire populace.

“Osotimehin will forever be remember for his great contribution towards upliftment of the downtrodden people in the society. We must ensure that we sustain all his good legacies as a way of celebrating him.”

“We are ready to support his family planning and the national reproductive health legacies he left behind so he can be smiling at us even if we don’t see him. His stunning records at the Ministry of Health when he was the Minister cannot be overlook.”

The guest lecturer, Prof. Emmanuel Otolorin while speaking on the theme of the program, which is “Meeting Family Planning 2020 Goal: Whither Nigeria?” noted that the late Professor Osotimehin will forever be remember for his gender equality, youths empowerment, women liberation and empowerment and also for his physical imposition, his legacies must be constantly upheld.

The speaker pointed out that late Osotimehin is an advocate of Family Planning, that want people to have a good plan for their families, adding that’ if we critically look at what Osotimehin was preaching during his lifetime, people will realized that most of what he was saying then is the result we are witnessing in our country now’.

“Today we are facing series of insecurity challenges all over the country, and this is as a result of our daily increase in number and population without adequate provisions for basic amenities such as jobs for the our teaming youths, which has makes most of our youths responsible for the series of violence and conflict we are witnessing in Nigeria today’.

“There is poverty due to lack of provision for the younger generations that we are producing result to this Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen conflict that is currently happening in our country today, extreme poverty is the root cause of the farmers and herdsmen conflict and since almost thirty years of the likes of Prof. Osotimehin campaign on Family Planning, just 13 per cent has been able to achieve so far as against the promised 27 percent targeted for the vision 2020’.

“For us to achieve this vision 2020 which is next year, all hands must be on deck, the Federal Government must continue to support the program as this will go a long way to address some vital and germane issues that are affecting our country’.

Penpushing reports that,the  conference which was the maiden edition  was attended by dignitaries across the country such as, Mrs. Funke Osotimehin, wife of the late Professor, Prof. Olaniyi Fatusi, Dr. Faruq Jega, Prof. Akinkungbe, Prof. Bola Ayeni, Dr. Ejike Orji, Dr. Saad Ada Musa, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi ,Mr. Stanley Opai, Pharmacist Emeka Okafor,Prof. Lola Adeyemi and others