COVID 19: 7 MILLION UNWANTED PREGNANCIES MAY OCCUR IF COVID 19 LOCKDOWN CONTINUES FOR 6 MONTHS

United Nations Population Fund estimates that about forty seven million women risk losing access to family planning commodities,if the lock down due to coronavirus pandemic continues for the next six months.

The UN organisation also says this could lead to nearly seven million unintended pregnancies. 

The Director, Reproductive Health department in the Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Afolabi, revealed this during a virtual forum with Reproductive health Journalists in collaboration with Marie Stopes Nigeria.

Dr Afolabi says Covid 19 has exposed Nigeria's fragile health supply chain as the lockdown disrupted coordination and distribution of family planning commodities.

In other to address this challenge, the Ministry of Health made provision for road pass for vendors and truck drivers conveying these commodities across the country.

He says the federal government is taking all measures to ensure the safety of pregnant women as isolation centres have been prepared to cater for pregnant covid 19 patients.

According to statistics from the National family planning dashboard, Nigeria recorded a downward trend between January and April this year, in the number of women using family planning products. 

Dr Afolabi says the federal government has earmarked 1.22 billion naira in the revised 2020 budget to aid the supply of family planning products for this fiscal year. 

Also speaking, the Country Director, Marie Stopes, Effiom Nyong Effiom, said inspite of the restriction, the organisation has continued to provide sexual and reproductive health services across the country.

The Organisation has concluded plans to provide 2,500 primary health care centers with personal protection gears for the next three months starting from June this year.

support was also given to State Family Planning Coordinators in Niger, Benue and Nasarawa to support demand for Family Planning via house-to-house mobilization.