By Tina George, Minna
The Consumer Market for Family Planning (CM4FP), has revealed that women prefer to access family planning services from Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and Chemists in Niger state.
The study, conducted by the Society for Family Health (SFH) showed high dependence on alternative outlets and low patronage by women to government-owned hospitals and health centres.
Major findings obtained during the field researches and studies in focus were disclosed during the dissemination meeting held in Minna, Niger state.
The Consumer Market pilot study on family planning is implemented to address the data gaps by producing high-quality contraceptive data that is matched to consumer data to provide a robust picture of the complete market for family planning in Nigeria.
According to the study, 41 per cent of outlets in the state where women accessed family planning services, were PPMVs, drug shops and chemists, while only three per cent of women accessed their family planning services in general hospitals and six per cent in primary health care centres.
It also revealed that a large percentage of women bypass their nearest family planning services outlet to use outlets that are farther from their homes.
The Deputy Team Lead, Family Planning and Reproductive Health Practice Area and Delivery innovation in self-care project, Mrs Rosslyn Odey said that the dissemination showcases the need for family planning and how women can access the service.
She added that the research will help the state to establish information baselines on areas that women will want to access family products and services and why they would prefer to access services at some outlets.
“This will help the government and development partners plan for future programs and help the government put adequate resources to help women access such services,” Odey said.
She then appreciated the state government for its support in ensuring that the study was carried out successfully.
Giving an overview of the CM4FP project, the Society for Family Health MIS Administrator, Raymond Songo said the project sought to reveal women’s level of interest and access to family planning products and services and their responses to the campaign alongside support from their husbands.
The study also shows data from the research conducted in Kaduna, Abia and Lagos states.
It revealed that in the medium urban areas of Kaduna state, 61 per cent of women accessed their family planning services at drug shops, chemists and PPMV with 56 per cent in small urban areas in Abia state and 30 per cent women in large urban areas in Lagos state.
