By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
About 30 percent of women in reproductive age are using contraceptives for birth spacing for better health of their children in JIgawa state, the Director JIgawa state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Shehu Sambo has indicated.
Speaking in an interview during a one day Society for Family Health (SPH) A360 mid-Project dessimination, Dr Shehu Sambo explained that the number of women at reproductive age is over 1.5 million in the state, adding that the percentage is however on the increase day by day.
The director noted that contraceptive commodities and services are available in most of the public health facilities in the state adding that they are only given to women who express interest.
He attributed the shortage of commodities in hospitals to increase in demand in both rural and urban areas.
On her part, the program manager Bethsheba Daure said the program is aimed at supporting women and adolescent married girls to achieve family health in life.
She said the meeting was aimed at breaking down barriers to voluntary updates on modern contraceptives among girls aged between 15 and 19 in Nigeria.
“We want to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes of young adolescents and women in Jigawa state,”
She explained that currently, the state’s contraceptive prevalence is only 4.7% as she expressed the optimism the percentage will reach 27% by 2024 to reduce the fatality rate of women of reproductive age.
“Jigawa has a higher fatality rate of women which affects socio-economic and development of the community”
The communique issued after the meeting indicated that the health sector was doing a lot around ASRH now that there’s a good number of youth friendly service providers that have improved adolescent health outcomes.
The communique added that there is now a new strategy to support pregnant adolescent girls, which is the MNCH which are the resources needed to provide holistic solutions for adolescent girls and young women in the state.
In the Communique the meeting appealed to the State Ministry Of Health for free health care services for adolescent students in boarding schools, adding that using the BCHPF, 281 people have been provided with fee health care services.
The communique added that all boarding school students in Jigawa have access to free health care services as it assured that the upcoming TISHUP program will address that of tertiary students.