‘Funding of family planning, pivotal to maternal mortality reduction’

Written by Sade Oguntola



NIGERIA is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality and to achieve its reduction, ensuring Family Planning (FP)availability through its adequate funding and reorientation of policy makers is pivotal, a survey has indicated.

The study conducted by Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) on resources for family planning commodity at the federal and four NURHI-supported sites, indicated that the absence of a budget line for FP activities was a major challenge to family planning commodity security.

Dr Farouk Jega, a public health expert made the findings of the assessment known at a 1-day NURHI de-briefing meeting for policy makers in Ibadan.

Dr Jega remarking that family planning commodity security exists when people are able to choose, obtain and use the contraceptive they want whenever they need them, declared that the absence of a dedicated budget line for FP at the Federal government level was not in conformity with its determination to address the maternal and child health challenges facing Nigeria.

However, he pointed out that despite states like Oyo state having a budget for FP, “the monies appropriated do not always get released for family planning activities.”

Dr Jega declared that the assessment found that frequent stock out of contraceptive methods such as injectable methods and intrauterine devices was also a challenge to Nigeria’s attainment of contraceptive security.

In order to address these challenges, he suggested tapping fund from other sources to ensure a broader funding base for family planning; high level advocacy to support evidence based forecast and procurement of family planning commodities; and reorientation of all stakeholders to give FP issues the attention it deserves.

Earlier at the meeting, Oyo state team leader for NURHI, Mrs Stella Akinso, said that Nigeria need to take up the responsibility of ensuring that FP is funded.

According to her, “Nigeria for many years depended on donor funding of family planning services, thus accounting for 22 per cent of unmet contraceptive needs.

NURHI is trying to sensitise and stimulate the government to drive the process of increasing family planning services while we provide the technical support.”

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/health-news/17648-funding-of-family-planning-pivotal-to-maternal-mortality-reduction