INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

Family planning as a concept of world social order is as old as man. 

It could be said to be a means of population control other then by disease, war, or other natural and man made disasters.

The term “family panning” was only applied to this ageless phenomenon when the social effects of abandoned babies, clue to illegal abortion and problem of outsize poor families began to seriously bother the mind of sociologists, health workers and governments.

Family planning has received media coverage around the world since it’s inception in 1916. Initially people reacted against it, due to misconception and ignorance of aim and values of family planning, but as the issue develop, it clear the people’s eyes and their perception more enlightened.

Internationally, the United Nation (UN) through an agency, the world health organization (WHO) has championed the publicity campaign for the introduction and the development modification and sometimes outright discontinuation of some aspect to the family planning qualified media coverage and manifested the importance of population in planning for world demographic and Economics distribution.

1.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF FAMILY PLANNING

The origin of family planning can bee traced to the concern shown by two sisters Margaret sanger (1966-1976) married and her sister Ethel, on the tremendous loss of lives usually involving schools gulls and woman during childbirth. 

Sanger who was trained as a nurse carried out a very courageous crusade against the legal system in the united state of American in the early part of the country to get abortion legalized. She was known to have developed the phrase “Birth control” to and have set up clinics in 1916.

Another, woman, Marie Stapes, followed Margaret’s steps seven years later by setting up a “Birth control” clinics in London in 1923. It was not until 1952, that family planning made it’s first imprint on the international scene in the year, an international conference of family planning was held in Bombry on November 29th, This was the birth of the international planning parenthood federation (IPDF) under the joint chairmanship of Margaret Sanger and Lady Ranca Rau.

Meanwhile, the acceptance of family planning as a practice has show at the first time.

Sweden, because of the first world action of family planning came in twenty-four years after the birth “IPPE” in 1976 and sixty years alter Sanger opened the first “Birth control clinic”. It was funds to the united nation funds for population activities (UNFPA).

During the long period of uncertainty in the development and acceptance of family planning the phenomenon was widely regarded believed to be a public health exercise designed to improve the health of the mother and child in the family, it was only later when scientist (social and physical) began to take more interest in the issue that it began to be strictly associated with an aim at population control, in conjunction with the General improvement of family health and consequently national and world health.

The development of the world and national economic also depend very much on the planning the uses population in his famous essay on the principles of population 1798. He said that population was increasing faster than the rate of which food was being produces.

He postulated that the world economics order was developing in arithmetical progression. 1,2,3, while population was increasing in geometrical progression 2,4, and 6.This assertion corroborated with the world population growth rate project as show in charts AP.

Today, family planning is a worldwide activity, implemented and financed by the PPFN.

In Nigerian, the planed parent-hood federation of Nigerian (PPFN) formerly known as the family planning council of Nigerian (FPCN) was established in 1960 as a reaction and social welfare profess to the prevailing social and health relate problems of the time. These problems include child dumping unwanted pregnancies leading to illegally induced abortions and morality (death) resulting from too closely spaced pregnancies.

The proposal to establish the family planning council of Nigerian was considered after the occurrence to two tragic cases septic abortion of 1957. These cases attracted the attention of the marriage guidance council in Lagos to existing family planning problems.

As a result this, a committee was set up to investigate the need for family planning services in the country. The reports of this committee revealed that it was a common practice among married and unmarried woman with unwanted pregnancies to commit illegal abortion. Family planning services was therefore needed to stop or reduce it (abortion).

In 1962 Miss. Edith Gate of the pathfinder find visited Nigerian and met with the members of the National council of woman societies (NCNS). This led to the setting up of a family planning committee with the responsibilities for family planning activities and marriage counseling.

CHARTS A1: INORID POPULATION GROWTH ESTIMATE

10,000 BC 5 Million

1 AC 200 Million

1959 AD 500 Million

1962 AD 3 Billion

1971 AD 3.7 Billion

2002 AD 9 Billion

Source: A guide to family planning S.K. Nwangori PP15.

Varuom family planning programmes on the English and Vernacular such Nigerian –Television Authority N.T.A. channel 8 Enugu. In lighter mood, ESBS “Ezi na ulo” have also been initiated to arouse the consciousnesses of people to the dangers and problems inherent in giving birth to more children that one cannot adequately and conveniently cater and care for.

As a result, the present hash Economics realistic, a new population policy was introduced by the government whereby four children will be the maximal a woman will bare. 

The government went further to sponsor some radio and television jingles on population and family planning. It should be noted that the media plays a significant role in the spread of the family planning though their various educational programmes on rational and benefits of family planning in order to build up healthy and happy families.

This study attempts to find out to what extent the media has gone in performing this role and how the media massage has influenced the discussion of the audience in the family panning matters.

It also attempts to know how population control can hap the economies growth of family and the state as a whole.