The Federal government, leveraging on the existing functional primary health facilities in the country, has said it is increasing health facilities providing family planning services to 20,000 in recognition of its implications for people’s wellbeing. Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Salma Anas-Kolo, who made the disclosure at a virtual meeting marking Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) National Close-out and end of project dissemination, said the plan to increase the number of health facilities providing family planning services in the country is to foster a positive attitude about planning families. Dr Anas-Kolo stated that the Federal Government is working hard to ensure that family planning commodities continue to reach communities to the last mile even as it resolves to ensure that family planning is institutionalised as a measure for birth spacing and population control. Rodio Diallo, representative of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said the family planning is a smart, sensible and vital component of global health and development. Diallo declared that the NURHI project was proof that a demand-led theory and data driven mixture of advocacy, service delivery and demand generation approaches could lead to family planning use in Nigeria.

Source: Nigerian Tribune August 27, 2020 00:11 UTC