•As stakeholders seek free maternal health services, family planning
The Federal Government has attributed the impediments in the family planning service provisions in Nigeria to funding requirements for procurement of needed commodities and other interventions which it stressed that is increasingly becoming difficult to manage.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire disclosed this at a one-day summit organised by the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists(ANHEJ) supported by the Partnership for Advocacy In Child and Family Health at Scale(PACFaH@scale) and anchored by the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC).
The theme for the summit is “Raising voices for more funding for family planning and free maternal health services by incoming political leaders.”
The Minister who was represented by the Deputy Director of family planning logistics, Pharm Ugochukwu Alex, explained that family planning has been used by many nations to achieve remarkable socio-economic growth and development.
“It is in the light of the above, that Nigeria has incorporated family planning as a key component in the National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development as well as the National Development Plan, both currently being implemented by the Governments of the Federation.
“The above therefore strengthens and continues to make relevant Federal Government’s pronouncement on 7th April 2011 through the Honourable Minister of Health making family planning information, services and commodities free at all level of the public health care delivery system”.
He disclosed that since that declaration, the demand for family planning information, services and commodities has been increasing exponentially leading to a significant increase in funding requirements for procurement of needed commodities and other interventions which is increasingly becoming difficult to keep up with.
“Of course, this increase has resulted in stock out of the family planning commodities which in turn is negatively impacting the achievement of our key family planning targets.”
He, however, said the Federal Ministry of Health, as part of the solutions, has developed and is currently disseminating the National Guideline for State-funded Procurement of Family Planning Commodities whose purpose is to promote domestic funding for procurement and distribution with substantial contributions from the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“The adoption and inclusive implementation by the national and sub-national level Governments, of Nigeria’s Family Planning Blueprint, FP2030 Commitment as well as other critical family planning documents equally form part of the solutions to the challenges facing the national family planning programme.
“Again, the Federal Ministry of Health also realised that the potentials of the private sector are not being harnessed adequately, hence the development of the Private Sector Engagement Strategy on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
“Government is hoping that the key Private Sector players will embrace this strategy and contribute to the expected success,” he added.
The President of the Association of Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, stated that the Nigerian government had not prioritised the sector because health issues were not the number one on its agenda, saying that there was the need for a change in the narrative.
He called on journalists to help champion the course by telling the incoming administration to take the health sector seriously and improve on issues with qualities of life and political stability
“Health is a basic human right, when health is absent wisdom cannot manifest itself, making health a priority as number one or two on the government agenda will go a long way to reduce the challenges in the sector.
“Provision of enough funds for the sector is paramount here, women are about 50 per cent of the country’s population and no woman should die in the process of giving birth to another life.
“Maternal death in Nigeria is very shameful, we do not lack the qualities to make things work,” he stressed.
Also, the Chairman, Management Committee, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji who spoke on the ‘dangers of not funding family planning in Nigeria’ called for more for in the health sector.
He said that there should be a policy thrust to reverse the horrible trend, adding that family planning issues should be a concern for every patriotic Nigerian.
According to him, poor funding could lead to maternal death, and Nigeria has the highest rate of mortality in the world.
He called on the government to recruit more midwives and send them to the rural health facilities for them to perform their functions, and also mobilize the women about the family planning programmes.
Orji called for good remuneration for midwives per month to get their commitment to work, adding that the family planning 2030 commitment of one per cent of the health budget must be made a priority at all government levels.
Executive Director, International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) Mrs Moji Makanjuola urged journalists to form alliances with all health actors to keep on pushing for change in the health sector
Makanjuola who was represented by Mrs Folu Duke, Director of administration ISMPH stated that journalists are the gatekeeper and the conscience of the people who continue to push for change in the sector.
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