The Country Director of MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, Dr Emmanuel Ajah, has stated that Bauchi is the state where MSI Nigeria has received immense support through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the State Primary Healthcare Development Board, traditional and religious leaders, community-based groups, and other collaborating partners.
Emmanuel Ajah made this statement at the inception meeting of the Challenge Fund Project, funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), held at the State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Bauchi.
He explained, “We are here today for the inception meeting of the Challenge Fund Project. This project represents our opportunity to scale up last-mile family planning access, including Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), to reach first-time parents and deliver services to the last mile across seven states in Nigeria, including Bauchi State.”
He added, “During the implementation stage, this project will support two outreach teams in Bauchi State, in addition to aiding 400 Public Sector Strengthening (PSS) facilities and 50 MS Ladies. These efforts contribute to Nigeria’s goal of achieving a 27% modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) by 2030.”
The MSI Country Director stated, “As an organisation, MSI Nigeria is committed to deepening the existing relationship with the Bauchi State Government to accomplish the key priorities of the Challenge Fund Project in this state.”
He disclosed, “These priorities include achieving a shift in mCPR, ensuring commodity security, reaching the underprivileged, and ultimately ensuring the sustainability of this project through government ownership in line with the sector-wide approach (SWAP) initiative.”
Emmanuel Ajah further stated, “Our collective target is to increase the uptake of modern child-spacing services in Bauchi, particularly among those intending to use them and adolescent first-time parents.
“We aim to enhance the quality of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the state and strengthen the community environment that promotes the scaled-up uptake of family planning across the local government areas of implementation,” he added.
He acknowledged and appreciated the willingness of the Bauchi State Government to collaborate with MSI Nigeria and other partners on the new journey.
He assured, “We will continue to be grateful for the support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) for funding these necessary interventions, particularly during this period of global funding cuts.
“Together, with your support as stakeholders, we will implement this commendable project for the benefit of women in the communities. MSI Nigeria is enthusiastic about collaborating with all stakeholders in Bauchi State to achieve our shared goal of improving access to and expanding the choice of voluntary and comprehensive modern family planning and child-spacing services,” he concluded.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Commissioner of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, reiterated the government’s commitment to effective, efficient, and quality healthcare services for its citizens across the state to ensure a healthy society.
The Commissioner stressed that, to ensure quality healthcare service delivery, the state has adopted the Abuja Declaration of 15% budget allocation to the health sector, stating, “We have been allocating above that every year.”
He added that health facilities have been upgraded and well-equipped, while personnel have been recruited to provide quality and skilled services to the clients visiting.
The Commissioner commended MSI for selecting the state as one of the beneficiaries of the multi-million-dollar project, which will improve family health in terms of child-spacing services.
He assured that all relevant health agencies would perform their functions in line with the project’s implementation objectives.
The Bauchi State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) commended MSI for the project, stressing that clients are actively seeking child-spacing services but are limited by the unavailability of commodities.
Speaking through the Secretary, who is the Executive Chairperson of Giade Local Government Council, ALGON pledged full support for the implementation of the MSI project, which was described as beneficial to the people of the state.
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