Family Planning:Delta Govt. Restate Commitment to Provision of Services

Dr Ejiro Ogheneaga, Permanent Secretary, Delta State Ministry of Health (m); HRM, Dr. Ada Biosah, Omu Ahaba (left); and Dr Gloria Ferife, DPRS DSPHCDA (right), during the presentation of awards to contributors of family planning in Delta State during The Challenge Initiative (TCI) end of project dissemination meeting in Asaba, recently.

By Donald Ojebo

The Delta State Government has reiterated its resolve to continue to partner with donor agencies with the view to leveraging on the financial and technical gains they bring to the State to help improve the quality of lives of Deltans and residents of the State.

The Permanent Secretary, Delta State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ejiro Ogheneaga made this known in Asaba during The Challenge Initiative (TCI) end of project dissemination meeting.

He used the medium to thank TCI Team for their efforts in the State during the last four years of partnership which has resulted in positive impacts on the sexual and reproductive health of women in Delta State.

The Permanent Secretary commended His Excellency, the Governor, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for his consistent support for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Programmes in the State.

He revealed that due to the partnership with TCI and its advocacy efforts, political-will was increased and this led to the State Government’s allocation of funds in its budget for the first time to the tune of N20m in the 2020 budget for Family Planning (FP) Programme with a 100% release of same and also allocation of N50m in the 2021 budget.

“The funds allocated in the 2021 budget will help support Family Planning in-reaches and out-reaches; regular review & resupply; procure Family Planning commodities and medical consumables and also print HF registers. These will help strengthen quality FP data collection, reduce the unmet need for FP, motivate providers and reduce incidences of user fee collection at the point of service” Dr. Ogheneaga added.

He stated that the number of additional women using modern contraceptives (New Acceptors) annually has increased from 31,315 in 2017 to 74,660 as at Dec. 2020 as a result of the vigorous Demand Generation strategies deployed through Community Volunteer engagement (58% of persons reached received FP Services) and FP in-reaches.

Dr Winful Orieke, Permanent Secretary, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) assured The Challenge Initiative and other stakeholders that government will ensure Family Planning services and programmes are taken to the next level in Delta State.

Dr Philomena Okeowo, Director, Public Health, State Primary Health Care Development Agency in her keynote address described the theme for the day “Journey towards State Government self-reliance and chronicles of sustainable impact at scale for Reproductive Health in Delta State” as very apt.

“Globally, Family Planning continues to generate a major discourse because of its importance in contributing to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Access to voluntary Family Planning which is a key component of reproductive health has been proven to have transformative impacts on families, communities and countries to promote health and prosperity” she stated.

She said that Family Planning information and services give women, men, couples and adolescents the opportunity to prevent unintended pregnancy and choose whether and when to have a child thereby unlocking their future opportunities.