Metro

Family Planning: Banigo Urges Media To Lead Campaign

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Mrs Ipalibo Harry Banigo, has urged media organizations to spearhead the campaign on family planning in Nigeria. 

Dr. Banigo stated this in a goodwill message from the Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday, 11th July 2021, in commemoration of the 2021 World Population Day.

According to the Deputy Governor, Media Organizations as agenda setters are best suited to bring the issues of family planning as a tool to halt population explosion and its attendant social vices to the front burner.

Dr. Banigo who said the present economic reality in the country makes it imperative for all families not to indulge in unhealthy sexual habits, stressed that bearing children without proper planning for their education and economic well-being is dangerous.

“Mothers are the Principal burden bearers in child bearing and upbringing and therefore suffer more economic, psychological and physical pressures in the family circle”. The Deputy Governor stressed.

She said lack of family planning was responsible for the number of out-of-school children, child labour, maternal mortality, poverty, family crises and other social vices.

The Harvard trained Public Health Physician who reiterated that the State Chief Executive, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s commitment to reduce the disease burden of the Rivers People to the barest minimum said “the establishment of Zonal Hospitals, Mother and Child Hospital, rehabilitation of General Hospitals across the State, abolition of user fees for People Living with HIV, the signing of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme Bill into law, the establishment of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital as well as the award of Scholarship to Medical Students in the Rivers State University as well as the Pamo University of Medical Sciences to train medical manpower is highly commendable”.

Dr. Banigo who is the Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunization and Primary Healthcare, disclosed that ignorance, religion, traditional beliefs, unguarded sexual indulgence as well as the Covid 19 lock down were factors that accelerated over population in most Developing countries. 

 She advised pregnant women and nursing mothers to visit healthcare facilities for immunization, antenatal care, family planning and counselling services.

It would be recalled that the 11th of July annually has been set aside to mark World Population Day.

The theme for this year is: “Impact of Covid 19 Pandemic on fertility”.

 

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button