The
United Nations Population Fund recently launched a three-day national family
planning campaign, starting in Farafenni, the North Bank Region of The Gambia.
The
campaign brought together young people and women from across the region. The
campaign, carrying the strong message: “Family Planning; YES to CHOICE, NO to
CHANCE”, specifically targeted young women and men both in and out of schools
in the region.
Triggered
by the increasing infertility and mortality rate in the country, the UNFPA set
on an awareness raising campaign on family planning, HIV testing and cervical
cancer screening, which “continues to kill women”.
Utilizing various strategies, the campaign
used multi-disease approach as an entry-point to family planning.
This
was enhanced through partnering with the SOS Mother’s Clinic, for the Cervical
Cancer screening for women in North bank and the satellite villages.
The
campaign also involved creating awareness on HIV testing and different
contraceptives available in the country.
Declaring
the campaign open, the Chief of Upper Baddibu, Ebrahima Ansu, said high
mortality at birth is of serious concern to them.
And
with such campaign will help women to be mindful of diseases which are curable
such as the cervical cancer but yet still continued to kill them.
He
also talked on the issue of family planning, saying this gives women idea on
how to space their kids, which yield happy and healthy families.
Alhagie
Kairaba Keita, Regional Health Director of North Bank East, said: “It is
important for everyone to know that when we talk about family planning is not
to discourage people from having children but for them to know when and how to
have children so that they can give them good upbringing and healthy living.”
He
thanked UNFPA for funding the programme.
The
Head of the UNFPA office in The Gambia, Mr Kunle said they have lost so many
women in child birth complications and one of the ways to prevent this is
through family planning.
“We
don’t want a situation where mothers are dying,” he said. “Family planning
services are available and we will help to bring these services closer to you.”
