Participants at a meeting on Family Planning have called for increase in 2020 Kaduna State budget to N362.8 million from the current N147.6 million to address the existing funding Gap in the implementation of the programme.
The gap was created due to lack of FP commodities and consumables arising from inadequate funding thereby denying women of reproductive age of the benefits.
The meeting which was organised by Family Health Advocates in Nigeria Initiative with support from Pathfinder International, was attended by Representatives of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committees on Health, Appropriation, Public Accounts, Women Affairs as well as Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The participants said in a communique after the meeting, that the challenge of funding had greatly affected effective implementation of the FP programme resulting in the stock out of commodities and consumables for women of reproductive age.
The communique notes that because of the poverty level, families, especially in the rural areas cannot access FP services hence the need for the House of Assembly to support and ensure allocation of appropriate and adequate funds.
Availability and use of modern contraceptives, the communique said, would prevent unintended pregnancies, while high rate of unsafe abortions and maternal deaths would be averted.
The communique welcomes an inevitable partnership between FHANI, organisers of the meeting, and the State House of Assembly for the advancement of family health delivery through adequate appropriation and funding.
While considering the Legislative arm as one of the strong allies of CSOs, the Communique also acknowledges the opportunities created by the Kaduna State Government through good policies and environment with a resolve to work together to provide good governance.
The meeting had earlier, analysed the objectives of FHANI and overview of its activities as well as family planning, financing, prospects and challenges .
According to analysis, the success story of the NGO, included creation of budget lines by the State and Local Governments (supported by NURHI), resulting in improved budget level in the health sector; improved structure on FP and sustained working relationship with the legislative and executive arms.
It also shows the success story of how a second budget line was created through advocacies (supported by Pathfinder International), to address FP programming, which was not covered in the first budget line created.
Also analysed, was the challenge of funding, which greatly affected the effective implementation of the programme resulting in the stockout of FP commodities and consumables for women of reproductive age.
The analysis shows that Kaduna State has a population of about 9 million residents, with women of child bearing age put at about 2 million, but noted with dismay, the maternal and infant mortality which stood at alarming rate.
The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), of 46.5 % was set for married women on all methods by 2018, but only half of the target was met, leaving the State far behind due to lack of commodities and consumables.
