Cultural and religious beliefs, high illiteracy rate and inaccessibility to contraceptives have been identified as major impediments to family planning education across the Northern Region.
Northern Regional Population Officer, Alhaji Seidu Issifu Iddi who stated this observed that, some cultural beliefs within the region prohibit open discussions on family planning whiles some religious beliefs also forbid people from practicing family planning.
Statistics from the regional population office indicated that, only 11.2% of the people in the region use contraceptives whiles the prevalence rate of family planning is at 10.2% and 27.8% of the population want to use family planning, but have been inhibited.
Speaking to Diamond news in an interview as the World celebrates the World Population Day; Alhaji Seidu Issifu Iddi also sighted early marriage with high fertility rate among locals as a factor of increasing population in the region.
The United Nations Population Fund in 1989 allotted, July 11 each year as world population day to raise awareness about global population issues.
It is aimed at increasing awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
The 2018 world population day is focused on projecting the importance of family planning and is on the theme; “Family planning is a human right”.
Story by: Alhassan Yakubu (Diamond FM Newsroom).
