Listen to article

Tamale, Sept. 21, GNA – Dr. Jacob Mahama, the Deputy Director in-charge of Public Health in the Northern Region, has said the Northern Region remains the lowest in the country in the practice of family planning and most people in the area do not practice it as a method of birth control thus producing more children at wrong intervals.

He said even though information and knowledge about family planning seemed to be very high among the people, its practice has been unacceptable because many people continue giving birth without adopting family planning methods.

Dr. Mahama said this during a media briefing in Tamale on Thursday in line with activities for the National Family Planning Week Celebration which is scheduled for September 24 to 28 in the Northern Region, to sensitize the people about the need to adopt family planning methods as a way of building a healthy family.

The celebration will be on the theme; “Making every pregnancy a celebration: a partnership with religious and traditional leaders and activities lined include a flout through the principle streets of Tamale to create awareness, radio discussion, free family planning services with the climax as the launch on 26th September 2012 at the Jubilee Park.

Dr. Mahama appealed to people to adhere to family planning methods to space their children well so as they could take good care of them to become good citizens.

In a related development, a statement issued by the Ghana Health Service has expressed worry about the inadequate funding of the family planning programme and this has contributed to the low patronage of the methods of family planning including the low usage of contraceptives.

“There is compelling evidence that practicing family planning yields many health and socio-economic benefits by managing and slowing population growth, reducing exposure to unwanted pregnancies, preventing abortions and reducing maternal deaths,” the statement said.

GNA