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Expert, Clerics Advise Families On Space Birth To Reduce Economic, Financial Burdens

 By Ladi Dapson, Maiduguri

A medical expert and religious leader have advised that lack of adequate planning for childbearing could be responsible for unnecessary financial burdens on families and society.

The Secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors (UMTH Chapter) in Maiduguri, Dr Abubakar Ngubdo stressed that Borno state has a high rate of maternal and neo-natal mortality due to economic hardship and insurgency crisis faced by families. 

Dr Abubakar who is an Obstetrics and Gynaecologist maintained that if necessary measures are put in place by families, it would improve overall healthcare of women, and newborns, and help to reduce the number of preventable deaths. 

“Like I said, looking at indices, Borno state has very high maternal and neonatal mortality, and what is responsible for this, is because, the state has been hit by insurgency, in addition to the current economic hardship which has affected the purchasing power of families.

” So child spacing is a very important factor to families. Ideally, before a woman gets pregnant, that child should be properly planned in terms of health, and economics. Families need to prepare and plan. This will reduce the economic burden on the family.

“We all know the expenses that come with childbirth in our society from maternity to baby kits to drugs to hospital expenses, and naming ceremony so all these expenses can be additional burdens and with this harsh economy, it is safe to prepare and plan before embarking on it,” he advised.

Also, State Chairman JIBWIS, Alhaji Goni Abdu who spoke on the intersection of culture, religion, and childbirth spacing in Borno which was organized by the Challenge Initiatives (TCi) held in Maiduguri yesterday, noted that Islam gave clear instructions that husbands should be able to provide foods, shelter, clothes, and others to their families.

“There is no clear prohibition in Sharia and Hadith that stops somebody from spacing birth and planning his family it is even a welcome ideal, this is because as husband or household, you have the responsibility of taking care of your family, and that’s why the holy book says you should marry if you have the means. So I don’t think we have the ground in Hadith or Quran that says you should not plan your family.

“So as a religious leader, it is very important to plan your family and cater for them through your means of livelihood by what you have, you can’t give what you do not have because it will bring burden to you,” Goni noted.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the State Lead TCi, Dr Yusuf Ahmad during a round table meeting with Child Birth Spacing Stakeholders in Maiduguri on Wednesday said that the meeting aimed to discuss issues around CBS and to explore effective communications tools that would suit the cultural and religious of the people.

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