Residents of Ebonyi State have been called upon to take full advantage of the state government’s ongoing free family planning services, aimed at drastically reducing maternal mortality, unsafe abortions, and unintended pregnancies.
The appeal was made during an Integrated Family Planning Community Outreach organized by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), held at the Abakaliki Local Government Area Secretariat.
Speaking at the event, the State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs. Christiana Ikechukwu, highlighted childbirth spacing as one of the most effective strategies for lowering maternal death rates. She stressed that proper child spacing gives women time to recover physically before subsequent pregnancies, thereby minimising life-threatening complications during childbirth.
“Family planning is not about stopping childbirth entirely; it is simply about child spacing,” Ikechukwu explained, reassuring residents that all health services offered remain strictly confidential.
She noted that the outreach campaign is actively being extended to rural communities across all 13 Local Government Areas in the state to ensure every woman receives access to essential reproductive healthcare.
Echoing these remarks, the Reproductive Health Coordinator for the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Charity Nnenna Okporo, emphasized the comprehensive nature of the health package provided alongside family planning commodities.
“We also educate residents on early antenatal registration, facility-based deliveries, child immunization, malaria testing, HIV, hepatitis, and cervical cancer screenings,” Okporo stated. She specifically urged men to actively support their partners, adding that male involvement is crucial in enabling women to access life-saving maternal healthcare.
In her address, Mrs. Oluchi Eme, a Community Health Officer involved in the mobilization efforts, addressed common misconceptions that often deter rural women from utilizing family planning products.
She reassured participants that modern contraceptive methods do not cause permanent infertility and that healthcare personnel offer one-on-one counseling to address individual needs and health concerns.
Addressing delegates on behalf of the state government, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ikenna Ekuma, acknowledged the support of development partners, noting that the enrollment of pregnant women into the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) ensures that access to antenatal care and family planning commodities remains entirely free for all residents.
The ongoing state-wide community outreach program runs daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM across public Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) and designated community outreach centers in all 13 LGAs. Health officials continue to encourage community leaders, husbands, and women of childbearing age to visit their nearest primary healthcare facility to access free services.
