The Country Director of Health Policy Plus (HP+) Mr. Onoriode Ezire, Wednesday revealed that Ebonyi State has the highest rate of child birth in the entire South-east geopolitical zone.
Health Policy Plus is a USAID funded programme which focuses on Family Planning and Maternal health.
Mr Ezire, who spoke in Abakaliki, during the launch of the Ebonyi State RAPID, charged the state government to embrace family planning to avert looming crisis.
He maintained that the growing population would increase challenges in acquiring quality education, accessing health care, just as it would increase unemployment level.
"The high population growth rate in Ebonyi, is as a result of the young age structure combined with high level of fertility. In Ebonyi, the fertility rate is about 5.3 per cent per woman, much higher than any other South-east state”, he said.
Ezire pointed out that most of the people used to cause unrest in the country are unemployed.
"So we recommend very strongly for Ebonyi State to do its best to tackle the problem. The government should bring to bear the political will and adequately fund family planning programmes. We must all note that by managing our fertility, we would save over N38 billion yearly”, he said.
In 2017, there will be approximately 117, 000 births in Ebonyi and if nothing is done to check the trend the annual birth rate could increase to almost 185, 000 by 2050, it was gathered.
Speaking, the state governor, Engr. David Umahi, pledged to partner Health Policy Plus, in addressing the challenges of rapid growing population.
He also tasked traditional rulers in the state to take the message down to people in their respective domains.
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