The Jigawa state government says about 365,595 new births are expected in the state in 2023.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Abdullahi Kainuwa, stated this at an event to mark the 2023 World Contraceptive Day, held in Dutse, the state capital, Thursday.
At the event, Mr Kainuwa said women of childbearing age in the state are accessing modern contraceptives in at least 300 healthcare facilities out of the 761 facilities in the state.
He said of the expected 365,595 pregnancies, over 273,000 had been delivered as of July.
“We are expecting about 365,595 pregnancies (deliveries) this year, we have passed 273,000 as of July, and the remaining pregnancy is not more than 1,000,” Mr Kainuwa said.
Kainuwa said the state has over 1,608,616 women of childbearing age and the ministry plans to see that by the year 2027, 30 per cent of those women are accessing modern contraceptives.
“It is an occasion to emphasise the critical role that accessible, voluntary, and quality family planning plays in promoting the overall health and well-being of our communities.
“Access to a variety of contraceptive options enables individuals to efficiently do child spacing, improve maternal and child health, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development,” Mr Kainuwa said.
The number of pregnancies was from the health facilities recorded in the state within the period under review where women came for anti-natal, deliveries, and post-natal. Presumably, a significant number of women don’t visit health facilities for maternal health.
In Jigawa, the percentage of women who delivered at health facilities rose from 6.8 per cent in 2015 to 18.2 per cent in 2023 and the modern contraceptive prevalence rate was above one per cent in 2015 but reached 3.5 per cent in 2023, according to the MICS survey last updated in 2021
(Premium Times)
