6th January, 2017
Prof. Suleiman Adeniran of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), has advised parents to embrace family planning to ease the effects of economic recession.
Adeniran gave the advice in Ilorin on Friday during a presentation at a UITH Seminar on: “Economic Recession: A healthy way out”.
The gynaecologist described family planning as a concept or programme of limiting the size of families through spacing or prevention of pregnancies, especially in times of economic recession.
He said it comprised a group of activities that permitted partners to decide freely the numbers of children they desire to have as well as spacing of pregnancies.
He listed health benefits of family planning contraceptives to include prevention of HIV/AIDs, sexually transmitted diseases, reduction in cases of unsafe abortions and attendant complications.
Other benefits, according to him, are the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality, reduction of infant mortality, among other contraceptive benefits.
Adeniran also mentioned the social and economic benefits of family planning as its supports health and development of the couples, especially mothers.
According to him, it allows greater investment in each child that is key to slowing unsuitable population growth and its negative effects on the economy, environment and development efforts.
“It mitigates adverse effects of population dynamics on natural resources including food and water, increases economic growth and social stability and a better security for all,” he said.
The gynaecologist said contraceptive methods are available at UITH family planning clinics such as oral contraceptive pills, injectable contraceptive, barrier methods, male and female condom, implants, intrauterine device (IUD), surgical method and vasectomy.
He added that family planning is one of the cost-effective health interventions that can guarantee the economic well-being of families and communities.
In his opening remark, Prof. Ola Balogun, the hospital`s Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, defined economic recession as a significant decline in economic activity.
He explained that this activity spread across the economy visible in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales.