By Fatoumatta K Jallow
UNFPA in partnership with SOS Mothers Clinic on Sunday Commenced a Three Days Family planning campaign, the theme of the campaign is “Family Planning: Yes to Choice, No to Chance” in the Central River Region settlements of Bansang, Janjanbureh, Bora-ba, Fula Bantang, and Brikamaba. The aim of the Family Planning Campaign is to create greater understanding on family planning services and commodities and to generate demand for uptake of family planning services in communities, register new family planning acceptors in Central River Region and dispel myths on family planning and other diseases.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Bansang, Alieu Jammeh of UNFPA explained that the campaign is aimed at scaling up family planning services in the country and as well ensure every woman of reproductive age is given the required services and information on family planning and management irrespective of their residential and economic status.
A representative of Child and Reproductive Health Unit, under the Ministry of health Famara Fatty highlighted that all the religions place high premium on family planning as an effective method to enhance the general well-being of the family members.
He noted that the country’s forefathers traditionally and religiously allowed their wives to use Jujus as a method of child spacing and fertility control and therefore acknowledge the usage of modern tools and services to replace those practices shouldn’t be seen as ungodly.
Fatty used the occasion to dispel myths and misconceptions that subscriptions to family planning services is meant to promote prostitution and challenging men to be steadfast in providing morale, economic, health, and educational needs of their families.
The three-day awareness creation and free family planning services in CRR would utilize strategies such as community outreach programs, husband schools, regional football tournaments, radio talk shows, HIV and AIDs and cervical cancer screening, testing, guidance and counselling services.
