The Challenge Initiative (TCI) has significantly impacted family planning in Osogbo Local Government, increasing uptake by 55% since January till date.
Beatrice Oluwatoyin Iyanda, Health Promotion Officer at Osogbo Local Government Primary Health Care (PHC) center, disclosed this on Wednesday during the family planning neighborhood campaign in Oke-Bale.
Iyanda said that before TCI intervention, the acceptability of family planning was 10%.
“Due to TCI’s assistance, our family planning activities have improved, allowing us to educate and mobilise the community to make informed choices.
“Their support has been valuable in helping us address myths and misconceptions surrounding family planning.
“We are saying TCI should not leave Osun now, they should wait for us to clear the remaining 45% left behind so that it will be 100%.
” As far as I am concern TCI has done a lot for us” Iyanda stated.
Speaking on the challenges being faced, she that religion is one of the major challenge to the uptake of family planning.
The medical expert noted that they had been engaging religious leaders and men as the head of family on the need to promote child spacing and maternal health.
Iyanda said, “This community is religiously dominated and their belief is that they should have as much child as possible.
“We try atimes to involve the husband, to let him understand the importance of FP.
“We also reach out to the religious leaders, those that are knowledgeable, literate, we talk to them and after the talk, some of the husbands have been coming to the facility with their wives.”
“However, misconceptions persist, with some men fearing that certain family planning methods might have negative side effects.
“To encourage more men to participate in family planning, TCI introduced “GO Cards” that provide free services, she said.
Kehinde Aliu, one of the mobilizers, said that they go out regularly to sensitise residents on the family planning.
“We can go to parties, meetings, and other places to campaign about FP.
“When we get there we talk to them and anybody that show interest in it.
“we give them “GO Card”, with the card, they know the facility to go and access the FP”, she said.
