The Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), through its Faith and Cultural Champions (FCC) Project, is promoting the acceptance of child spacing and other reproductive health services among rural women in Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the intervention, implemented in partnership with the Ummulkhairi Foundation, is aimed at strengthening family health and reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
Chairperson of the Ummulkhairi Foundation, Hajiya Maryam Sani, said this on Friday during a sensitization programme in Gyallesu Ward, Zaria Local Government Area.
She said participants received practical information on the health, social, and economic benefits of child spacing.
Sani added that the women were also educated on early pregnancy danger signs that require urgent medical attention.
According to her, health educators explained warning signs such as eclampsia, persistent dizziness, severe headaches, and postpartum hemorrhage.
She urged pregnant women to seek immediate care and attend antenatal clinics regularly.
Sani noted that the campaign promoted antenatal care, postnatal services, and informed child spacing as practical ways to reduce maternal and infant mortality in vulnerable rural communities.
She said the intervention was necessary because available data shows persistently high maternal and infant mortality rates in the state, making sustained community awareness critical for healthier reproductive practices.
According to her, participants asked questions and shared experiences during the interactive session.
This, she said, showed growing confidence in child spacing after facilitators addressed common misconceptions about contraception.
FCC Project Consultant, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, said the initiative was increasing demand for child spacing services by equipping women and their families with accurate information for informed reproductive health decisions.
He added that the project complements government efforts to reduce maternal mortality through stronger community mobilization, advocacy, and collaboration with key stakeholders.
The Village Head of Gyallesu, Alhaji Musa Nayaya, said the involvement of traditional and religious leaders had built public trust and made residents more receptive to messages on responsible child spacing.
Nayaya explained that Islam supports responsible child spacing for the well-being of mothers and children, and pledged to continue mobilizing residents for awareness activities.
Also speaking, a religious leader, Malam Abdu Ibrahim said the sensitization broadened participants’ understanding of reproductive health and equipped them to educate other families.
He expressed concern over maternal deaths linked to postpartum hemorrhage and urged government and development partners to sustain community-based awareness campaigns.
One of the participants, Malama Sayaqulu Haruna of Unguwar Kaya, Gyallesu Ward, said the discussions dispelled long-held misconceptions about contraceptives and increased confidence in modern child spacing methods at health facilities.
She said many women previously lacked reliable family planning information, “but the sensitization has given them hope by exposing them to safe options that protect mothers and improve family well-being.”
NAN reports that the FCC Project targets young married couples, adolescent girls and boys, mothers-in-law, husbands, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, because of their influence on maternal health and family planning decisions. (NAN)
