UNFPA- 20 Million Women in Nigeria do not have Access to Family Planning Services

During the World Population Day Event in Abuja titled ' Family Planning, Empowering  People and Developing Nations', the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country's representative Mr Diene Keita disclosed that according to findings,  about 20 million women in Nigeria have no access to effective  and safe family  planning services. Most of these women reside in the rural areas and areas affected by insurgents In the country. 

Keita noted that it is important this issue is addressed because family planning and better reproductive  health care which includes voluntary family  planning can improve economic development in the country and also help women to achieve educational fulfillment and attain their goals and aspirations. He further stated that improving access to modern  family planning services in Nigeria  can avert 750,000 unintended pregnancies and reduce one- third of the rate of maternal deaths. 

He further added that UNFPA has constantly understood and addressed the effects of Family Planning to economic growth and has contributed to 2% increase in Family Planning between 2003 and 2013. During these years the use of modern contraceptives doubled worldwide from 36% in 1970 to 67% in 2016. Despite this achievement , Mr Keita emphasized that an enormous challenge still looms as 214 million  women in developing countries do not have sufficient access to these services. Meeting these needs would avert 67million unintended pregnancies and reduce one third of the estimated 303,000 maternal deaths.  

 Accordingly, family planning is needed to End Poverty which is the First Sustainable Development  Goal. This would invariably lead to improving  Gender Equality  and ending hunger in the nation. Therefore stakeholders  and government should work together  to promote the use of modern family  planning  services.