By Muhammad Auwal
The Bauchi State Government has called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to expand access to Child Birth Spacing (CBS) servic3s to rural communities across the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Zuwaira Hassan, made the call at a public awareness campaign, titled “Da Haihuwa Tara yu yu yu” (giving birth to nine children without a proper plan), organised by Yanke Yanke Drama Group in Bauchi on Friday.
She charged the community leaders to expand access to knowledge on child spacing, while clarifying child birth spacing services to their people as permitted by Islam and Christianity.
“The key issue is that people need to understand the benefits of birth spacing, so they can voluntarily access the services.
“We have been able to achieve tremendous milestones in the state, such that the traditional and religious leaders are very supportive and are therefore providing the necessary community voices to increase awareness by calling on people to access the services,” Hassan said.
The commissioner commended the drama group for organising the awareness campaign, adding that the use of drama and music in sensitisation and awareness would be more understood by the general public across the state.
Hassan also appealed to husbands to encourage their spouses to access Child Birth Spacing Services by accompanying them to health facilities.
Earlier, Mrs Rabi Ekele, the state Programme Coordinator of The Challenge Initiative (TCI), explained that child birth spacing provides many benefits to mother, child, father, and the entire society.
She said it specifically enable the mother to regain her health after delivery.
“Also it gives enough time and opportunity to love and provide attention to her husband and children. It also accord the mother more time for her family and own personal advancement,” she said.
Mrs Ekele appealled to the State Government to increase and release funds for CBS services, to allow for more access to the services in the State.
She said child birth spacing reduces the number of unintended pregnancies and as well as maternal and newborn deaths.
Ekele pledged that TCI will continue to partner the State Government and the drama group in educating and creating awareness on CBS services in the State.
On his part, the District Head of Miri in Bauchi Local Government Area, Alhaji Adamu Jahun, said the roles of traditional and religious bodies are crucial in the provision of CBS services in the communities.
According to him, community leaders have a big task in promoting CBS, because of their closeness to the people. He urged village and Ward heads to continue counselling and educating their people to access CBS services as well as attending antenatal care in the health facilities.
