Effective family planning services good for national development- Ex-minister

Nigeria’s former Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, on Thursday said effective family planning (FP) services contributes to national development by curbing population growth and alleviating resource pressure.

Mr Adewole spoke at an ongoing 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2024 in Abuja.

The three-day conference, which is themed: “Sustaining Commitments for Family Planning within the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, Advancing Progress towards Achieving FP2030 Goals,” is organised by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Mr Adewole, who is the chairperson of the conference, said effective family planning services can alleviate pressure on resources such as education, healthcare and employment.

He said the role of FP as a cornerstone of the country’s health system and a key driver of national development cannot be overemphasised.

Prioritising family planning

Mr Adewole said Nigeria faces significant challenges related to reproductive health, including high maternal and infant mortality rates, unplanned pregnancies, and limited access to contraceptive methods.

He said over 19 per cent of married women in Nigeria have an unmet need for contraceptives, leading to increased health risks.

He noted that effective FP services can reduce maternal and infant mortality and improve quality of life and economic empowerment, particularly for women.

The former health minister said by prioritising FP, Nigeria can enhance its health system and empower individuals to make informed choices about their reproductive health.

Addressing barriers

To accelerate progress towards achieving FP2030, Mr Adewole said the government should prioritise domestic funding, strengthen the supply chain, and integrate FP into essential services.

He said the government must also empower young people, who make up over half of Nigeria’s population, with youth-friendly FP services.

“We need to provide adolescents and young adults with accurate information and accessible resources to make informed reproductive choices,” he said.

He noted that cultural and religious barriers that prevent many Nigerians from accessing FP services must be addressed for the country to make progress toward the FP target.

He also highlighted the need to engage with community leaders, faith-based organisations and traditional rulers to promote accurate information and build trust.

“We also need to strengthen our partnerships with development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector to leverage resources, expertise, and innovation to accelerate progress,” he said.

“Furthermore, we need to ensure that our FP programmes are evidence-based, data-driven, and responsive to the needs of all Nigerians, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalised populations.”

He urged every stakeholder to seize this moment to innovate, collaborate, and deliver on “our shared commitments.”

“Together, we can transform FP into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda.”

In her remarks, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health, Salma Anas, said although the nation has made progress in promoting FP, it still has a long way to go.

Ms Anas said statistics show that Nigeria has a high total fertility rate, which poses significant challenges to the country’s economic and social development.

“To address these challenges, we need to work together to create a future where every woman and girl in Nigeria has access to FP services,” she said.

“We must also ensure that our conversations are inclusive and take into account the perspectives of all stakeholders.”

She also advocates for a homegrown solution to solve FP challenges, noting that there is a need to develop strategies that are tailored to our unique context and needs.

“Another challenge we face is the lack of awareness about FP so we need to invest in education and awareness-raising programmes,” she said.

Sustainability

Speaking during a panel session, the Deputy Director, Family Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Rodio Diallo, highlighted the critical role of FP commodities in sustaining programmes.

Ms Diallo emphasised the urgency of addressing supply chain inefficiencies to ensure availability at the last mile.

“Without commodities, there is no programme and without a programme, there is no impact to expect. And women will continue to die from unsafe abortion, because they will have sex and may not want to keep the baby,” she said.

FP 2030 target

The FP2030 is a global partnership supporting women’s and girls’ reproductive rights. It aims to empower women and girls to lead healthy lives and make informed choices about contraceptive use.

It also aims to hasten the process of addressing obstacles that delay the advancement of commitments made by governments towards FP, by strengthening result-oriented partnerships with stakeholders and experts.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation had missed the initial FP target set for 2020, partly due to the alleged government’s failure to fund the programme, thereby hindering progress. FP 2020 goal was to enable 120 million additional women and girls of reproductive age, globally, to have access to contraceptives by the year 2020.

At the dawn of the deadline, the FP 2020 target indicators show that Nigeria has only 12 per cent MCPR for women.