Quackery Threatens Ogun Contraceptive Uptake

By: Adémólá Òrúnbon

Indications have emerged that the targeted 46 percent Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) being envisaged by the Ogun State Government in year 2030 could be hardly achieved due to activities of quacks with attendants’ cases of ineffective and failed Family Planning (FP) being reported by women of reproductive age in the State.

The State with the current CPR of 32. 1 percent, had renovated its Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), across the State with provision of FP consumables, training and re-training of service providers, advocacy for demand generation, adequate logistics for distribution of commodities, among other effective progarammes to ensure improvement in the contraceptive uptake.

Findings during a media chat with some women groups of reproductive age in Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Sagamu, and Yewa-South showed that peer influence and lack of adequate information on appropriate places to access quality FP services had made many of them fall victim into the hands of unqualified providers, resulting to health complications, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion.

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According to a 26-year old hair dresser in Sagamu, Mrs. Adebimpe Salako revealed that she adopted the injectable method of contraception three years back from a private-owned facility, after which she noticed a sudden signs of pregnancy six months after accessing the service.

“The pregnancy was later confirmed, a situation which I am not pleased with, because the issue is that the unplanned pregnancy that I am running away from eventually happened. With this, some of my friends who are willing to go for their own are discouraged, while the information about ineffectiveness of modern contraceptives has continue to spread.

“However, while attending ante natal care at Makun Primary Health Centre, I got to know that the family planning service received was done by a quack, who is not qualified to provide the service’’, Mrs. Salako explained.

“On her part, Mrs. Ayinke Ajetunmobi, a 30-year-old petty trader in Sabo, Abeokuta North Local Government Area, narrated that she received Intra-Uterine Devices (IUD) method from an auxiliary nurse, who claimed to have offered FP services to women.

Ajetunmobi stated that she later developed health complications attributed to improper insertion of the device.

“’This is a health facility that many people patronize in my area. My husband asked me to do the family planning there because we think the facility can provide the service, without knowing that the provider is not properly trained”, she said.

While reacting to the activities of quacks and its implications, a professional FP provider at the Olikoye Ransome Memorial Hospital, Asero, Abeokuta, Mrs. Funmilola Taiwo said there were reports and complaints from some women with ugly experiences as a result of accessing FP services from unregistered facilities, where there likely to be quacks.

Mrs. Taiwo added that the persistence incidence was due to illiteracy level and inadequate knowledge on where to access quality services, advising women and couples to always visit Primary Health care Centres and other public health facilities for information on reproductive health care, noted that trade associations, community and religious organisations should also intensify efforts to enlighten their members and congregation on socio-economic and health benefits of childbirth spacing.