Rivers Approves N126m for Family Planning Commodities
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday, approved the release of N126m for the procurement and distribution of essential family planning commodities.
Fubara said the state is leading among the comity of states in providing funding for capacity building of family planning service providers.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
She said the released funds would cover the procurement of “long-acting contraceptive agents like Mirena intrauterine devices and implants for women who desire to space their births for longer periods,” as well as “shorter-acting and barrier methods like male condoms, and Depo-Provera, the three monthly contraceptive injections for reproductive and family health.”
Oreh stated, “Specifically, I wish to commend His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for approving and releasing the sum of N126 million for the procurement and last mile distribution of essential family planning commodities, in addition to capacity building of FP service providers, and community mobilisation for demand generation.
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“The Rivers State Government under the dynamic and able leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara has demonstrated leadership and commitment by facilitating this unprecedented release for the procurement of family planning commodities to further address the wide gap in funding for the FP commodity procurement.”
Continuing, the health commissioner said the approval and distribution of the commodities were necessary “to increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate, reducing the unmet need for family planning,” among others.
She noted that the impact would “include averting unintended pregnancies, preventing abortions and averting maternal and child deaths.”
Oreh lauded the governor’s support and commitment to accelerating investments in the state’s healthcare sector.
Giving further details, the commissioner emphasised, “Access to contraceptives is recognised to play a key role in the achievement of national and international development goals including the Sustainable Development Goal 3, FP2030 targets and objectives, and harnessing the demographic dividend. For every naira invested in family planning and maternal health, the benefits to families and societies are exponential”.
Oreh appreciated the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Population Fund, among others, for their advocacy efforts.
