Family planning and fertility education, according to Dr. Salma Ibrahim-Anas, Director of Family Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, are essential for attaining sustainable development and a safe environment.
Ibrahim-Anas disclosed this at the Women’s Integrated Services for Health (WISH) project’s national launch meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.
She claimed that the nation’s present security issues were a result of poor access to fertility education and a lack of family planning services.
According to the director, effective child planning and spacing would help parents to impart morality, provide quality education and nutrition, as well as enhance survival chances, lower the burden on medical services, and reduce sicknesses.
“Lack of family planning is a great contributor to insecurity in the country; because the use is to space the number of children you want, the time you plan to have them and the family size you can take care of.
“This is in terms of nutrition, moral upbringing, education and quality care so that we have children that are raised productive, well mentored and contribute to national development.
“If you have so many you might not be able to carter for them. So, this is where family planning comes in to regulate fertility.
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“When you regulate fertility, you have children that contribute to national development because they are well guided.
“If we are not able to do this, we might end in catastrophe; because you have children that are not educated; and no access to quality education both formal and spiritual.
“This makes them think irrational…and they have to carter for themselves. So, they begin to look for various means of survival; and this can lead to insecurity that we are witnessing in Nigeria,” she said.
She urged families to support the initiatives; while underlining governments’ efforts to enhancing access to family planning and other services related to sexual and reproductive health.
