Yobe Provides Free Family Planning At 360 Centres – Official
The Yobe State Primary Healthcare Board has announced that about 360 health centres across the state currently provide free family planning services to the general public.
Hajiya Fatima Jiddum, Deputy Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the Board, made this known during a media roundtable in Damaturu on Wednesday. She said the centres were equipped to offer both short- and long-term family planning methods and commodities at no cost.
Jiddum noted a steady increase in the uptake of family planning services in the state, attributing the trend to sustained awareness campaigns carried out by the board in collaboration with development partners.
She also advised couples to access services only from accredited professionals to avoid complications related to unqualified providers.
In his remarks, Mr Mustapha Musa, Chairman of the Yobe Family Planning Media Advocacy Team, lauded The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and DevComs for supporting the programme aimed at enhancing reproductive health.
Musa said that since April 2024, the team had carried out widespread child spacing and behavioural change campaigns, especially in rural communities.
These efforts, he added, had helped to debunk myths and misinformation, leading to increased acceptance of family planning. He acknowledged that security challenges in parts of the state had limited the campaign’s reach.
However, he revealed that the team planned to engage more clerics, traditional rulers, and community leaders to boost awareness before the programme ends in August.
Also speaking at the event, Sheikh Suleiman Abubakar, an Islamic cleric, clarified that family planning was not new in Islam, citing historical practices among the companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which were not condemned by the Prophet.
He stressed, however, the importance of mutual agreement between husband and wife before adopting any family planning method.
Sumaila Baba, a Christian cleric, also affirmed that family planning was permissible in Christianity, especially when guided by health and economic considerations.
Yobe Provides Free Family Planning At 360 Centres – Official is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
