Northern Region remains lowest in family planning methods - Dr. Mahama

Dr. Jacob Mahama, Deputy Director in-charge of Public Health in the Northern Region has observed that the Northern Region remains the lowest in the country in the practice of family planning.

He said most people in the area did not practice family planing as a method of birth control thus producing more children at wrong intervals."Even though information and knowledge about family planning seems to be very high among the people, its practice has been unacceptable because many people continue giving birth without adopting family planning methods".

Dr. Mahama said this during a media briefing in Tamale on Thursday as part of activities for the National Family Planning Week Celebration which is scheduled for 24th to 28th of September in the Region, to sensitize the people about the need to adopt family planning methods as a way of building a healthy family."

The celebration will be on the theme; “Making every pregnancy a celebration: a partnership with religious and traditional leaders”.

Other activities lined up for the celebration include a float through the principal streets of Tamale metropolis to create awareness, radio discussions, and free family planning services. It will be climaxed with a formal launch on 26th September 2012 at the Jubilee Park in Tamale.

Dr. Mahama called on the people to adhere to family planning methods to space their children well so that they could take good care of the children to become good citizens.

In a related development, a statement issued by the Ghana Health Service has expressed worry about the inadequate funding to family planning programmes in the country contributing to the low patronage of the methods of family planning, including the low usage of contraceptives.

“There is compelling evidence that practicing family planning yields many health and socio-economic benefits by managing and slowing population growth, reducing exposure to unwanted pregnancies, preventing abortions and reducing maternal deaths”, the statement added.

It noted that government must place importance on investing in family planning linking it to the reduction of maternal and child mortality, and highlighting on religious and cultural barriers to give it a high profile on the national development agenda.