Lagos woos private hospitals to family planning campaign

Health workers, healthcare providers and community mobilisers in Lagos State have been tasked to create demand for Family Planning Services statewide.

This was the appeal of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi at the flag off of the Pilot Scheme on Private Providers access of Government free Family Planning Commodities.

The flag off involved fifty accredited private health clinics drawn from five Local Government areas in Lagos State.

Osunkiyesi said that the need to improve the demand for family planning services is a challenge to all health workers in the State and that this intervention would impact positively on the State’s maternal and child mortality reduction programme.

She further stated that the present initiative midwifed by the Federal Government through Strengthening Health Outcomes through Private Sector (SHOPS) has ensured that short and long term family planning options are available at private and public sector health facilities at little or no cost, adding that this would boost the contraceptive rate and reduce unmet need for family planning in the State.

Speaking in the same vein, the Head of Party, SHOPS, Ayodele Iroko urged all stakeholders to join in the Crusade for Planned Parenthood.

She said, “We should all be passionate marketers of Family Planning Commodities”. Furthermore, she affirmed that there had been appropriate human capital development involving the private health providers and community mobilizers.

Present at the occasion were representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Akin Afolabi, Director, Reproductive Health, Celeste Carr, Acting Deputy Office Director, Office of Health Population/Nutrition, USAID Nigeria, UNFPA, AGPMPN, AGPNP and other Partners.