By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The inclusion of men in reproductive health initiatives, particularly family planning advocacy, has been underscored as a critical factor in improving maternal health outcomes.

Experts have emphasised the need to actively involve men in family planning efforts to encourage more women to adopt methods that enhance their health.

They noted that the low level of male involvement in family planning uptake in Osun State remains a challenge, despite the benefits of family planning in promoting maternal health by enabling women to control the timing and spacing of their pregnancies.

According to medical experts, the freedom to choose when or when not to have children significantly reduces a woman’s risk of severe health complications and death, while also allowing her time to recover her health between pregnancies. Consequently, they argued, men’s participation is essential to achieving these outcomes.

The call for increased male involvement came during the Year 3 Endline Review Meeting of The Challenge Initiative’s (TCI) Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) in Osun State.

Speaking at the event, Osun State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Ololade Abatan, described the lack of male involvement as a significant obstacle to increasing family planning uptake in the state.

She highlighted how male reluctance to embrace family planning deprives many families of the benefits of adequate child spacing and improved maternal health.

Abatan pointed out that many women who could benefit from family planning are held back by their partners’ opposition to the concept.

“The nonchalant attitude of some men towards family planning is responsible for the reluctance of other women, who feel they need their spouses’ approval before adopting family planning methods,” she said.

Abatan stressed that male involvement is critical, especially in societies where men’s approval is often required for significant family decisions.

“We cannot do away with the involvement of men, especially where the man is the head of the family and whose nod of approval is critical before any important venture, such as family planning, is embarked upon.

“In our bid to curb maternal morbidity and child mortality, we must speak to the conscience of our men to get them involved,” she added.

Adolescent Health Desk Officer, Roseline Akinlabi, also highlighted the importance of including teenagers in family planning advocacy.

She referenced data from the 2023-24 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which showed that 7.3% of teenagers in Osun State have been pregnant, stressing the need for targeted advocacy for this demographic.

“Our adolescents are very adventurous and active. Therefore, we need to make plans for them, especially in addressing sexual and reproductive health myths and misconceptions,” Akinlabi said.

She called for sustained efforts to dispel myths and misinformation about family planning to enable teenagers to make informed decisions that could safeguard their futures.

Similarly, Beatrice Iyanda, Health Promotion Officer for Osogbo Local Government, commended TCI for training mobilisers to spread family planning awareness in communities with low male involvement.

She, however, noted that more effort is needed to encourage men to support family planning and adopt contraceptive methods.

“We must appreciate TCI for grooming mobilisers who penetrate deep into neighbourhoods, educating people about the benefits of family planning. However, male hesitancy often discourages women from adopting these methods,” Iyanda said.

Ola Raheem, who presented TCI’s perspective, focused on the importance of demand generation in driving family planning uptake.

He urged media practitioners to use evidence-based data to support their reporting on family planning issues.

“Family planning reporting should be evidence-based. We must ensure statistics are taken from reliable sources to enhance the credibility of our reports,” Raheem said.

He observed an increase in family planning reporting in the ongoing fourth quarter compared to the previous one, describing it as an encouraging development.

Raheem called on media champions to intensify their advocacy reporting to enhance awareness and boost male involvement in family planning initiatives across Osun State.