Husbands’ participation scales up child birth spacing in Bauchi — Investigation
Hundreds of husbands of child-bearing mothers in Bauchi are now accompanying their wives to health facilities to access Child Birth Spacing (CBS) services.
This has scaled up the family planning activities in the metropolis.
North East Trust investigation during a field trip of some members of Bauchi Public Health Media Network (BPHMN) to some Primary Health Care Centres in the state capital revealed that many couples are now trooping into the Family Planning Unit seeking for different services.
Alhaji Sani Yau, who accompanied his wife to the PHC Bayan Fada, said that he decided to embrace child birth spacing to ensure a healthy family, especially for the mother and the children.
“I have four children and we have an interval of three years between the first and second children, and five years gap between the third and fourth children. My wife usually falls sick throughout the pregnancy period so we decided to adopt the five-year interval for her to have enough rest and a healthy child.”
Another husband met at the clinic, Adamu Umar, 28, and father of four children, said they were at the unit with his wife to access the services because his wife recently gave birth to a set of twins and that there is the need to resume their CBS plan.
“We do three years spacing between births. The plan has really helped all of us as a nuclear family to enjoy a healthy family. My wife has enough time to rest and recuperate in-between the births. The Children are healthy too, because of the care and attention given to them.”
At the Yelwa PHC, another husband, Mallam Usman Hamidu said he has been telling his male friends and relations of the benefits of child spacing.
“Although, some men are still skeptical about such a practice I think quite a number of them are now spacing their children. They have seen the benefits of CBS in the health status of their families”.
Usman, who expressed his satisfaction with the services being rendered at the Family
Planning Unit of the PHC, wondered how some married couples are missing out on such services.
“Here at the FP Unit, you find accommodating service providers in a friendly and clean environment, extending to clients all the courtesies. And to top it all, one does not have to pay anything. The services are completely free.”
A husband of two, Yakubu Mamman, said he has had six children in 15 years with his two wives.
“There is an understanding between me and my two wives and we all agree to do child birth spacing because I cannot give birth to many children which I will not be able to carter for. Life is no longer business as usual. We decided to have a smaller number of children with each having three and we are having a healthy family.
“I believe having small number helps in training and giving them sound education so as to become better members of the society.”
The nurse in charge of the PHC,
Hajiya Hadiza Ahmad Maikudi, said the flow of clients seeking for child birth spacing services has been very impressive.
“In the last one month, a total number of 600 clients accessed the CBS service in our facility. Going by the culture of people here, the number of husbands who accompanied their wives to the facility has increased credibly well. Though, the fasting period and the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the flow of clients, I am confident that it will rise again in the coming weeks.”
Corroborating Maikudi, the officer incharge of Yelwa PHC, Zulaihatu Saidu, said that many husbands have now embraced CBS services and are helping their wives to access the services which has increased the number of clients.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of women accessing the CBS has increased from about 10 to 30 per day. The only challenge we are facing is the stock out of commodities due to the increase in the clients.”