Child spacing: ARFH laments low awareness campaign in Zamfara

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau.

The Association of Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) has identified that inadequate capacity and advocacy mobilisation were the liable factors to the low patronage of child spacing programmes in Zamfara state.

This came in a statement by the Programme Manager (PM) of the association, Aliyu Guraguri at the end of stakeholders meeting on child survival and child spacing in Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun local government area in

Zamfara state.

The statement further said that, necessary discussions would be conducted with the state Resident Health Coordinator in an effort to build the capacity of their relevant staff on Family Planning communications, so that the goal of increasing knowledge and awareness of the communities would not be defeated.

The stakeholder noted that, if the problems surrounding the efforts were not addressed, it could eventually affect the stakeholders’ ability to support the needed mobilisation for child spacing programmes in the state.

“During the program, our team discovered that stakeholders from the Ministry of health and the LGAs health department have inadequate capacity to conduct child spacing communications for Advocacy and also for mobilisation of communities”, AFRH said.

In his speech, Emir of Maradun, Alhaji Garba Tambari urged traditional and religious leaders to embark on massive sensitisation of their people, especially, husbands on the need to allow their wives to seek medical advice on child spacing.

Tambari therefore, directed district heads and opinion leaders in the emirate to support the sensitization campaigns with a view to ensure proper sensitization of the teeming targeted husbands.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Lawal Bungudu, expressed satisfaction with partners especially ARFH for the contributions and the support they provided towards the success of the programme.