By Saidu Adamu
Jalingo – Mariestopes International Nigeria, an NGO working on contraceptives and family planning,
on Tuesday, donated clinical equipment worth millions of naira to 50 health facilities in 14 local government areas of Taraba. The Clinical Training Officer of the group, Mrs Modupe Dimka, presented the equipment during a short ceremony at
Taraba State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Jalingo. Dimka said “Mariestopes is in Taraba to donate equipment, mainly Autoclaves, to prevent infection in rendering family planning services to communities. “The equipment will help those rendering the services to sterilise and clean the instruments before using them on women seeking family planning services.” She added that the level of response to services being rendered across the 14 local government areas of the state where the
group was presently working was improving daily. She said “we want to encourage families to have children by choice and not by chance so as to improve the overall development of communities. “Controlling births would impact positively on the overall economy and improve the wellbeing of women.” The Executive Secretary of Taraba Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Alhaji Aminu Hassan, thanked the group
for the donation. He assured the NGO of the state government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment to operate. He called on other NGOs working in various healthcare services to partner with the state government to improve the wellbeing of the people. Mariestopes International Nigeria had earlier trained various categories of health workers, traditional and religious leaders in the state to
acquaint them with knowledge and commodities involved in family planning process. The training was done to provide choices for families seeking advice in family planning.