World Contraception Day: TCI takes campaign to Alimosho, residents commend initiative

World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year. The annual worldwide campaign which centres around the vision where every pregnancy is wanted was launched in 2007. The WCD’s mission is to improve awareness of contraception and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.

This year’s edition with the theme “A Choice for All, Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose” emphasised the individuals’ fundamental right to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

No wonder, in Lagos State, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) a Non-Governmental Organisation, spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with massive transformative approach to providing vigorous reproductive health services, took the contraception sensitization to all the nook and cranny of Lagos on Thursday, September 2024.

At Alimosho area of Lagos with particular focus on Iyanapaja Market, Oki Community, TCI, in conjunction with the Primary Health Centre there and Family Health Providers Network Nigeria, was able massively to reach out to as many men and women in the area, using public address systems and local drummers to appeal to the sensibilities of the predominantly marginalized members of the community. In the end over 5000 people were preached to about family planning, while over 20 women actually took up one method of family planning or the other. The number of men requesting for condom were innumerable.

Mariam Adenije who spoke predominantly in her native Yoruba language is a satisfied user, she has used family planning in having her four children using the three-month injectable. She said that the method is working perfectly well for her and thanked TCI for their sensitisation of the people of Iyanapaja.

Also a 26 years old Omotayo Adike, who has three children took up a plan because according to her, she doesn’t need unwanted pregnancy obviously for economic reasons, she wants good education, good house even quality and nutritious food for her God giving three children, she preferred the three months injection.

Economy has continued to be at the foundation for opting for families planning in Alimosho Local Government Area and Nigeria in general. According to Aderogba Kafayat, “One need to plan, the economy of this country is not smiling. My husband is aware I am coming to do it, even the last one I did he was the one who took me to where I did it. I have done five year method, even though I had a small issue with it, so I had to remove it prematurely, but I am here again because I like family planning.”

“The family planning I did today is the three months injection” said Latifat, a young single parent with six children. “This is my first time, I have six children because of the twins. I don’t have husband, I am a single parent.”

Speaking on why Family planning uptake is necessary, Dr Difu Mmadu, Medical Director of IHE Doctors’ Hospital, in Shasha, Alimosho and Chairman, Family Health Providers Network Nigeria speaking on the advantages of taking up contraception said “One thing you have to know is that it is a means of family planning, it is either medical, or even behavioural attitude in planning your family and child spacing. There are the mechanical methods, there are even surgical methods to prevent unwanted pregnancy.”

On his assessment of the rate of usage of contraception in Alimosho and by extension Lagos State, he said “There are different methods of contraception, so every person has different ways of applying it. Some naturally do it, while some do it by artificial method which involves medications, while some will use surgical approach, mostly you may see such in women due to after delivery or complications after delivery; So the advantages are there, helping you to plan your family instead of having unwanted pregnancy that is just the advantages.”

Speaking on the significance of World Contraception Day, and his advice to Nigerians especially men who are not too keen in uptake of contraception, Dr Difu said, “In a lighter mood I think I would say, today the economy is the major family planning approach, I don’t know how many men are still having erection now. The same applies to women, the moment there is an alert into their account, interest in sexual interaction is activated, once there is no money due to the depressing economy, pressing everyone both men and women, nobody talks about sex, so it is a method of family planning, it is my personal thinking, I may be wrong, but I think that is a major family planning approach now.”

Nelson Anyabuike Odoji, Secretary, Family Health Providers Network Nigeria said “Today we are commemorating world Contraception Day,  and we are trying to make sure that children are not wasted by doing unnecessary abortions where there is no need for it.
So with family planning we make sure that children are given healthy life and the family will have children when they desire them. It could save cost, it could save money in the project of the man; it could save life in the respect of the woman.

“And this campaign is for both the youth and children from age 12, we can teach them about family planning up to the adult age and that is what we are doing,” he said.