Pathfinder International has stressed the need to promote advocacy in the use of Contraceptives to manage the rapid population growth in Nigeria as the population increases by 3% annually.
The Country Director in Nigeria, Dr. Amina Dorayi stated this in an interview with Voice of Nigeria in Abuja to commemorate World Contraceptive Day.
Childbirth spacing
Dr. Dorayi said to achieve demographic dividend there was need for childbirth spacing and family planning through the use of Contraceptives.
She said; “Apart from the health challenges of individuals, the right of individuals to decide when they want to have children should be respected.
“There are many reasons people use contraceptives or family planning. Some are to manage families, while some are to exercise freedom on decisions bothering on having children, when to have them, and the economic factor.”
Dr. Dorayi reiterated that; “Pathfinder International has a mission and the mission is to ensure that every individual irrespective of age, gender or location exercise their rights by deciding when to have children, to live the life they choose to live without stigma or being infected with diseases like HIV and others.”
To commemorate the World Contraceptive Day, she added that it was important to prioritise family planning, birth spacing to avert population explosion.
World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year. The aim is to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
