Family Planning: Facilities donating contraceptives in Ebonyi have increased — UNFPA

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says facilities offering services/commodities for modern contraceptives in Ebonyi have increased to 98 per cent. The UNFPA Programme Specialist, Reproductive Health, Dr Yakubu Aliyu, made the remark during the state level “Dissemination of National Guidelines for State-Funded Procurement of Family Planning” gathering in Abakaliki on Friday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, organised by the UNFPA, was in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ebonyi Government. Aliyu, who described family planning as “key” to reduction of poverty, urged Ebonyi Government to prioritise investment and contribute to the national basket fund for family planning. The specialist explained that even though there was a slight decline in the percentage of facilities that offered at least three modern contraceptive methods in Ebonyi in 2013, “there has been an increase in the percentage of facilities offering modern contraceptives since then. “In 2014, approximately 90 per cent of facilities offer at least three modern contraceptives. That rate has increased to 98 per cent of all facilities offering at least three contraceptive methods in 2021. “This upward trend has been consistent across facility levels, with the exception of secondary facilities in 2015-2018 and primary facilities from 2019 to 2021.” Dr Hyacinth Ebenyi, the Director, Public Service, Ebonyi Ministry of Health, commended the UNFPA for supporting health delivery for the people. Ebenyi explained that the percentage distribution of contraceptive use by methods are; 51 per cent for condoms, 29 per cent for implants, nine per cent for injectables, seven per cent for IUDs and four per cent for pills. The director said that the state’s maternal health indices shows 8.2 per cent Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), with modern CPR at 5.9 per cent. “The estimated number of women (15-49 years) currently using modern family planning methods is 42.088 and teenage pregnancy rate stood at 22.5 per cent in the state.” He decried the inadequate family planning providers to cover all the facilities offering the services, which was occasioned by retirement, transfers, among others. Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, wife of Ebonyi Governor, also commended all the family planning Implementing Partners (IPS) and donors in the state, as well as the Federal Ministry of Health. Nwifuru, who was represented by Prof. Nkechinyere Echiegu, Wife of Ebonyi Chief of Staff, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck toward ensuring commodities availability at health facilities. She said “I salute the Federal Ministry of Health for promoting domestic funding of family planning commodities supply.” Dr Stella Nwosu, the Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, thanked Ebonyi for supporting the National Guidelines for State-Funded Procurement of Family Planning Commodities. Nwosu, represented by Mrs Patricia Isikong, Health Personnel in the ministry, prayed that Ebonyi would continue to wax stronger in providing family planning commodities for the people.