Pathfinder International, a sexual and reproductive health based Non Governmental Organization (NGO) has expressed concerns on the poor level of government’s commitment to achieving Family Planning – a Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (MCPR) of 27% among all women, amidst robust policies established to achieve this in the country.
It’s Country Director Dr. Amina Dorayi, stated this while presenting a paper titled “Building Resilience for family planning through policy implementation in Nigeria” during a media roundtable ahead of the 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference scheduled to hold from December 7-11 in Abuja.
According to her, making resources available for full implementation of policies developed to increase access to contraceptives will boost economic development, especially during the current economic recession in Nigeria.
She noted that Nigeria signed to global commitments aimed at scaling up access to family planning information and services, stressing that there is need for holistic inclusion of all actors, including subnational stakeholders and local local CSO’s in implementation of family planning policies.
She stated further that national health policies, strategies and plans play an essential role in defining a country’s vision , policy direction and strategies for ensuring the health of its population.
She also stressed that in order to prepare for, manage and learn from shocks and other emerging global and national threats, health policies needed to be “fully implemented”.
“For everything we must have a system. We have a system, we don’t lack policies for family planning but is it resilient enough?
“Full implementation of the national family planning policies is critical to “build back better” in the aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic,” she stressed.
Also in her paper presentation titled “Leading with Demand and Advocacy” the Portfolio Director CCP FP Portfolio in Nigeria Dr. Moji Odeku, stated that 20% of married women wanted to stop childbearing but do not have access to modern contraceptive, and only 9.7% of married women are using modern contraceptive.
Odeku stressed the need for promoting dialogue on family planning at all levels of government, communities and households levels is critical to legitimizing open dialogue and creating a supportive policy environment for family planning.
