The difficulty in the procurement of essential commodities has been identified as one of the major challenges facing family planning services provision across the country.
The Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire who noted this said the funding requirements needed to prosecute its interventions have become increasingly difficult, hence the need for private sector collaboration.
Dr Ehanira raised the concerns at a summit by the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, (ANHEJ) in Abuja where the issue of the increasing number of maternal deaths was on the front burner.
The summit supported by the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale (PACFaH@scale), anchored by the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC) had the; “Raising voices for more funding for family planning and free maternal health services by incoming political leaders.”
The minister explained that the federal government in 2011 declared family planning information, services and commodities free at public health care centres, following the urgency required in the sector.
Following the declaration, Ehanire said there was a significant increase in funding requirements to support the procurement of commodities which had become increasingly difficult to meet.
“Of course, this increase resulted in stock out of the family planning commodities which in turn negatively impacted the achievement of our key family planning targets.
‘‘As part of the solutions, we developed and are currently disseminating the National Guideline for State-funded Procurement of Family Planning to promote domestic funding for procurement and distribution with contributions from the thirty-six states and the (FCT), Abuja.
“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’’.
More funding needed to prosecute family planning interventions – FG
Last modified: February 17, 2023