Some stakeholders in the health sector have urged the Jigawa State government to provide free family planning commodities to women to enhance reproductive health services in the state.

They stated this at a one-day social engagement on Family Planning and Reproductive Health, on Wednesday in Dutse.

A cleric, Muhammed Abubakar, said the Islamic religion encouraged women to practise child spacing to address health challenges or when the need arises.

He enjoined husbands to allow their wives to have a stake in decisions regarding health and births to improve their health status.

Reproductive Health Coordinator, Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Aliya Adamu, underscored the importance of child spacing in ensuring good family health.

She said that many women in remote areas of the state had been enlightened about child spacing.

She stated, “Now that they are aware, their major challenge is availability of free family planning commodities. In the early days of the campaign to promote use of contraceptives, the commodities were available as opposed to the current situation.’’

Ms Adamu said many women in rural dwellings could not afford the commodities due to the economic crunch and called for proactive measures to enhance their availability.

Also, the Challenge Initiative’s Programme Officer in the state, Blessing Mohammed, stressed the need for the stakeholders to embrace the strategic communication document and develop a uniform approach to the reproductive health, child spacing and family planning programmes in the state. 

(NAN)