ABU’s Prof Hayat says Family Planning remains the ability for couple to have desired number of children
A Professor of Nursing Sciences, with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Hayat Gomma, has defined family planning as the ability for individuals and couples to plan and achieve their desired number of children, as well as control the timing and spacing of births through contraception and infertility treatments.
Prof. Gommaa gave the definition at an Inaugural Lecture Series No. 7/24 titled; “A Midwife’s Key Role in Shaping the Future Through Family Planning for Community Sustainable Development, held on Wednesday, 25 September, 2024, at the Assembly Hall, Main Campus, Samaru, Zaria.
She noted that family planning programmes are designed to give people the information and services needed to make informed decisions about having children, while ensuring they are treated with respect, equality and free from discrimination. Prof. Gomma explained that for family planning programmes to be successful, these core principles must guide the implementation of all high impact practices.
The don, who is the current Postgraduate Coordinator of the ABU Nursing Department, disclosed that the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) had recognized family planning as one of the top ten public health achievements of the twentieth century.
Prof. Gomma, who was the first person to submit a proposal for conversion of the Department of Nursing into a full-fledged College, maintained that the low usage of family planning is a major contributor to the high fertility rate and rapid population growth in Nigeria.
She said in Nigeria, many several factors contribute to low rate of contraceptive use, which include cultural preferences for large families, misconceptions about contraception, gender inequality, limited access to family planning services, poor service quality and inadequate efforts to create demand for these services.
Prof. Gomma thanked the University Management and the University Organized Lectures Committee for giving her the opportunity to deliver her lecture.
In a remark, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, congratulated the inaugural lecturer for fulfilling one of her mandates as an academic.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof. Raymond Bako, the Vice-Chancellor said the lecturer was passionate about the point was making because she knows the implications in the society.
Prof. Bala reiterated that the paper emphasized the need for community engagement, enlightenment, advocacy and the role of men in developing family initiaves.
He thanked Prof. Hayat for allowing the University Community tap from her wealth of experiences.
A plague was presented to the inaugural lecturer after the lecture with a group photograph.
The event was attended by the Ag. University Librarian, Dr. AbdulHamid Gambo Liman; former Chairman, University Organized Lectures Committee, Prof. Bala Bello Mohammed Dewu; Prof. Aisha Indo Mamman of the Department of Haematology, ABU Teaching Hospital, Shika; and Teaching and Non-teaching staff of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, among others.
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Public Affairs Directorate,
Office of the Vice-Chancellor,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Wednesday, 25 September, 2024
