By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Vice Chancellor of Nigeria’s first specialized medical health sciences university, the University of Medical Sciences, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, has said the fight against unsafe abortion and other sexual reproductive health issues remains a challenge due to conflicting voices on the matter.
Speaking at the ongoing fellowship program on Communicating Evidence For SHRH Policy, Advocacy and Action (C4SPAA), Fatusi emphasized the need for data-driven actions to bring about tangible results.
Fatusi highlighted that many individuals speaking out on abortion are driven by emotions, lack of data, misinformation, and imagination. He stressed that a shift towards evidence-based decision-making is crucial to addressing these challenges effectively, adding “by allowing data to drive actions, interventions can be implemented with clear outcomes that everyone can understand.”
The fellowship program organized by Academic for Health Development (AHEAD) in collaboration with Guttmacher Institute aims to raise champions and advocates who can tackle sexual and reproductive health issues among women and girls in Nigeria.
Despite the significant investment required for such initiatives, Fatusi argued that much more needs to be done given Nigeria’s large population and numerous challenges related to maternal health.
Fatusi stated that raising hundreds or even thousands of champions from every sector is essential for changing the narrative surrounding women’s health. These champions will not only take action but also replicate themselves through their work.
He said the impact of their efforts will multiply over time as they contribute towards improving the overall well-being of young women and mothers in Nigeria.
John-Paul Akinduro, a media specialist attending the training program as a facilitator expressed his support for it. He emphasized that there is a lack of information regarding sexual and reproductive health issues in society which leads to widespread misinformation.
Akinduro believes that this training serves as an opportunity for key stakeholders such as media practitioners, advocates, policy makers, researchers, etc., to come together under one roof and disseminate accurate information.
However beneficial this training may be; however; Akinduro cautioned that it alone cannot tackle all existing challenges related to SRHR issues in Nigeria.
He urged media practitioners to specifically play an active role by amplifying messages about these critical topics while debunking traditional beliefs rooted in harmful practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) or child marriage.
Akinduro emphasized that while government involvement is necessary when it comes to enacting laws around SRHR issues; he believes advocacy efforts from individuals are equally important since lawmakers need convincing.
