>
Not fewer than 262 maternal deaths are recorded from 100,000 live births in Oyo state, the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting to kick start the second phase of sensitization activity of family planning in local council areas in the state, Mrs. Stella Akinso, team leader in the state, tasked couples on family planning, stressing that it was of preventing maternal deaths.
She added that the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) for Ibadan, the state capital is 22 % saying though Ibadan CPR is comparable to other cosmopolitan cities such as Benin at 26.6%, Ilorin at 24.6% and Lagos at 49.6%.
She said there is still room to increase the CPR especially among the urban poor saying this is necessary because the higher the CPR, the lower the Maternal Death Rate (MDR).
According to her, in this phase, the organization has commenced the program in three local council areas namely: Akinyele, Egbeda and Oluyole adding that soon the modern method of Contraceptives will expand to other local government areas in the state.
The team leader however called on the state government to contribute its quota saying as the official sponsor, Melinda Gate foundation cannot do it all. She said any government that does not support development partners cannot succeed as governance bothers on taking good care of welfare of the people.
Mrs. Akinso noted that about 35% of maternal deaths can be prevented through family planning as she urged the people of the state to visit any of the NURHI centre to do their family planning free of charge as a way to avoid and prevent maternal death.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Women’s Program and services from the Ministry of Women’s affair, Community Development and Poverty Alleviation in Oyo state, Mrs. Christy Popoola said the state government has been supportive in promoting women’s welfare.
She added that another major way of promoting women’s welfare is providing empowerment programs in several areas to alleviate their poverty adding that NURHI has help the ministry to make effective budget when it comes to women’s matter.