The Federal Government has announced plans to accelerate contraceptive prevalence rate in Nigeria to 36 per cent by 2018.

This, according to the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, will help control the imminent population explosion and also improve the quality of life for women and children.

Prof Adewole, who was speaking at an event on family planning, said the present administration is poised at making family planning a national policy.

He noted that with statistics from the United Nation Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) show that 2,300 under five-year olds and 145 women die daily, this tragic history can be reversed when women have access to the use of contraceptives and space their children

While a major challenge to effective family planning by most women is said to be socio-cultural, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin, is of the opinion that advocacy to women, who are yet to key into the use of contraceptives is necessary.

Nigeria currently has a contraceptive prevalence rate of 15.1 percent. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows Prof Adewole.

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