A Non-Governmental Organisation, Samu Lafiya Initiative, has trained 39 Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Midwives on effective family planning services in Sokoto State.
The NGO’s State Programme Officer, Ms. Habibat Salawu, told reporters on Tuesday that the three-day training targeted service providers across the seven programme implementation local government areas.
Salawu explained that participants had previously undergone training in 2024, and the current session served as a refresher, introducing modern family planning techniques and consumables to enhance service delivery.
“Since 2024, the organisation has counselled 99,950 women and dispensed 139,984 units of subcutaneous Depo medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA-SC). The engaged health workers, known as ‘Lafiya Sisters,’ provide quality counselling at healthcare facilities and within local communities, promoting family planning awareness and access,” she said.
She added that the training addressed misconceptions, reinforced understanding of all family planning methods, and emphasised empathy-based, client-centred counselling for informed choice.
“Participants were also updated on injectable administration, safe preparation techniques, referral pathways, record-keeping, accountability, and proper commodity storage to ensure continuity of services. The training boosts their confidence and problem-solving skills through role plays, case studies, and paired learning, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality family planning services,” Salawu said.
She cautioned citizens against relying on quacks or traditional healers for child-spacing services, stressing that modern, government-provided services are available at all levels.
Some participants, including Asma’u Shehu-Dange and Sabita James, described the training as a boost for their work, noting that their clients included youths, postpartum women, men, and persons with disabilities. They said major challenges included misconceptions, poor guidance, and non-adherence to medication, which the training helped them address through improved counselling techniques.
