CSOs call for investment in adolescence health, family planning

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for adequate funding and prioritisation of family planning in Nigeria.

The CSOs also called for investment in adolescent health to promote quality reproductive health among the youth population in the country.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of champions and advocacy in Abuja, Chairman management committee, Dr. Ejike Orji observed that family planning (FP) investment is key to national development and urged government to support family health in Nigeria in commemoration of World Contraception Day (WCD).

Orji noted that family planning is the most important tool to deliberately plan for the future, if the country wants a prosperous one, adding that the Nigerian government committed to a 27 per cent modern contraceptive prevalence by 2020; but till date, the rate is only 12 per cent.

According to him, a key reason for not meeting this national target is the inadequacy of FP financing, and year after year, the federal and state governments allocate funds in yearly budgets for contraceptive procurement; logistics; provider training; and for service provider task shifting and sharing.

He said, “We believe that access to modern contraceptives gives families a chance to practise healthy timing between births; reduces the risk to the mother; contributes to the survival of living children and the health of the nation. Child spacing will increase economic participation of women/mother lives, child survives.”

Orji noted that the 2020-2024 National Family Planning Blueprint of the Family Health Department of the Federal Ministry set out government’s commitments, objectives and vision for modern FP service delivery in line with the government’s FP 2030 agenda.

He said, “The CSOs are pleased to take note of the recent activities of government like the launch of theNational Family Planning Blueprint (2020-24), the launch of the RMNCAEH+N multi-stakeholders coordination platform and the FP2030 recommitment process to support the coordination and effective delivery of family planning. All in the bid for increasing access to accurate information on FP commodities and increased awareness of the benefits of modern family methods, stakeholders collaboration is necessary for Nigeria. In Nigeria, World Contraception Day 2021 comes at a time when the Federal Government of Nigeria and many state governments have signalled their commitment to increase modern family planning services delivery for women and men of reproductive age in the country.”

Orji stated that with increased funding at all tiers, timely release and accountable use of these funds, Nigeria would begin to reap the dividends of demography.

“As CSOs in Nigeria, we are committed to improving child and family health in Nigeria. Today, with one voice, we call on the government of Nigeria to prioritise family planning on its agenda to reap the dividends of demography and release the 2021 budgetary allocation for family planning while applying the same results-based management approaches used in the COVID-19 fight family planning programming in Nigeria.”