NURHI sensitises Oyo NURTW on benefits of family planning

IN a bid to sensitise commercial bus/cab drivers on the importance of family planning, the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) has organised a one-day sensitisation programme for members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State chapter.The programme, which was held at the Owo Garage, Gate, Ibadan, had in attendance top officials of the Oyo State branch of the NURTW.Speaking at the programme, an official of NURHI, Mr Tunji Samuel, said it was important that men are sensitised on the advantages of family planning, so that they could allow their wives to go for the methods available in order to plan their families.'We know that we can't achieve much if men are not sensitised on the advantages of family planning; men are the head of the homes, and their wives can do nothing without their support. This is why we are going about explaining to men what they need to know about family planning.'There are many misconceptions about family planning. Family planning helps one to plan one's family, and this is important today considering the state of our economy, and the cost in raising a family.'It is as a result of this that we are calling on men to allow their wives to accept family planning methods for their health and social and economic well-being,' Mr Samuel said.In her lecture on the occasion, another NURHI official, Mrs Jumoke Adekogba, explained that Nigeria holds the second position in maternal and infant mortalities in the world after India, 'and this is not good enough.'In order to prevent these deaths, it is important we embrace family planning methods; our women need to know that it is dangerous when a girl gets pregnant, or when pregnancies are too close, or when pregnancies are too many, or when one gets pregnant too late.'The public needs to know all these, and this is our message, and we can use family planning to prevent pregnancies at such times,' Mrs Adekogba said.While thanking the facilitators, Mr Okanlawon Waheed, the Assistant Secretary, Branch Office, NURTW, said many drivers now know the importance of family planning, and they would pass the message across to other members who were not able to attend the seminar.'We are really grateful for this seminar; we have been sensitised and we won't be selfish with the message, rather, we would become advocates of the family planning initiative in our various work locations,' Mr Waheed said.
Click here to read full news..