The Ebonyi State Government has vowed to tackle the negative family planning indicators in the state by strengthening investments and structures that will improve access to contraception and reproductive health services.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ikenna Ekuma, made this known during a press briefing held at the Ministry of Health headquarters, Centenary City, Abakaliki, to commemorate World Contraception Day 2025.
Ekuma expressed concern over the state’s low contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) of 7.4% and high unmet need for family planning at 29%, citing the latest NDHS 2013–2024 data. He stressed that the government, in collaboration with development partners such as MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, Engender Health Nigeria, and UNFPA, has intensified rural outreach programs and media campaigns to increase awareness.
“Reproductive rights are human rights. Every woman has the right to decide freely whether, when, and with whom to have children without fear or coercion,” Ekuma stated.
He added that adequate birth spacing improves maternal and child health, reduces economic strain on families, and prevents adolescent pregnancies.
During a road walk organized to mark the event, Christiana Ifunanya Ikechukwu, Family Planning Coordinator at the ministry, said the aim was to raise awareness on the availability of contraceptives across health facilities in Ebonyi. She stressed that family planning helps prevent maternal mortality and promotes family unity, love, and happiness.
Ikechukwu also applauded the contributions of partners such as Engender Health Nigeria, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, and UNFPA, alongside Governor Francis Nwifuru, for supporting family planning programs through training, capacity building, and logistics.
In his remarks, Elvis Umeh, South East Regional Manager of MSI Nigeria, dismissed the misconception that contraception encourages promiscuity among youths. Instead, he emphasized that family planning secures the future of adolescents and reduces school dropouts caused by unwanted pregnancies.
Other speakers at the event, including Dr. Hyacinth Ebenyi, Director of Public Health; Dr. Emmanuel Ogharu, State Reproductive Health Coordinator; and Dr. Phillip Ovuoba, Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, all commended Governor Nwifuru and the First Lady, Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, for their continued investment in Ebonyi’s health sector.
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