By Joy Gadani
Kaduna state government says it is working hard to make available contraceptives to address current stock out of the commodity affecting uptake of family planning services in the state.
Director Primary Healthcare in the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Neyu Iliyasu, stated this when he received a delegation comprising members of Family Health Advocates in Nigeria Initiative (FHANI) and Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) who visited him on family planning advocacy.
He said a number of steps taken by the state government to address the stock out of the contraceptive commodities include the special request for emergency supply of commodities from the federal government, alongside another request for permission to procure commodities directly from manufacturers of the products, as against waiting for the usual free supplies from the federal government.
Dr. Neyu Iliyasu expressed appreciation to the federal government for the quick intervention by making available the commodities, saying once the items arrive intending users will once again access free services and the state will be back on its progressive track of service provision.
Also speaking the State Reproductive Health Coordinator, Hajiya Nafisa Musa Isa who lamented over the situation, expressed optimism that the state would soon overcome the challenge.
“It is very true that we have droppings in the CPR, it is not our intention, it hurts our heart to find out that the CPR has dropped. But we are hopeful that it will soon be over,” she said.
The RH Coordinator said, the state has however made progress in other areas, including training of additional 177 service providers, which translated to increase in family planning provision centres in the state to 711, up from 534 service points.
Earlier, leader of the delegation, who is also the Communication Officer of FHANI, Hajiya Hauwa Saulawa had commended Kaduna State government for the training of new family planning service providers, as well as increase in number of service delivery points, saying “this will go a long way in meeting the needs of more women in the state, especially those in the grass root.”
She also charged the respective agencies to initiate innovative ways of providing adequate contraceptives in the state, especially by utilisation of budgetary provision made in the 2019 appropriation.
