Family Planning

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Members

This document was written and compiled by group 3 members of the 9th Monitoring and Evaluation workshop at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria:

• Aanu Rotimi (Angel)
• Omiyefa Christopher (Adeyemi)
• Dami Sonoiki (Dami)
• Mustapha Saidu Suleiman (Mustapha)

Executive Summary

Problem Statement

Family planning is a way of regulating child birth in the family to promote the wellbeing of the family and the society in general. FP is offered by the gynaecologist, the primary care physician and other health staff trained to offer such services.  Family planning (FP) has been proven to be a very useful intervention in addressing the high maternal and child mortality rates. FP could prevent as many as one in every three maternal deaths by allowing women to delay motherhood, space birth, avoid unintended pregnancies and abortion and stop childbearing when they reached their desired family size^[1]. It is a key approach towards attainment of safe motherhood. Failure to plan the family may lead to unwanted pregnancy, abortions, ill-health, social problems and overpopulation. The consequences resulting from poor or inadequate FP programs include poor nutrition and poverty, among others, which affects individuals, families and the nation at large. Various family planning methods are available. These methods include natural family planning methods (safe periods/calendar calculation, lactational amenorrhoea, Billing’s method and basal body temperature charting); Hormonal family planning methods are combined oral pills, progesterone only pills, hormonal implants and hormonal injectables; and the non-hormonal family planning methods are intrauterine contraceptive device( copper T), male condoms, female condoms, diaphragm, bilateral tube ligation, vasectomy, spermicides and cervical caps. The benefits of family planning are enormous such as reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality, empowering women by lightening the burden of excessive child bearing, prevention of unwanted and unplanned pregnancy, reduction of unsafe abortions.

According to NDHS 2013, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world^[2] at 576/1000 women, with an unmet need of 22% with 15% CPR rate reflecting challenges with the FP supply and demand chain, with similar situation across the states of the federation. Low family planning use has resulted in high abortion rate of 33/1000 women aged 15-49 years^[3].  

Table showing that abortion rates vary across the country among women aged 15-49.

Source: https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/abortion-nigeria