The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) has engaged development partners and Sokoto State Government to strengthen Family Planning (FP) and related services in the state.
The CIFF Executive Director, Sexual and Reproductive Health Right (SRHR), Mr Mills Kemplay made the commitment during an engagement meeting on Saturday in Sokoto.
Kemplay said the organisation is working in seven states, including Sokoto, on capacity building, demand creation with system strengthening mechanisms and medical supply chains on Family Planning.
He explained that more than 12 million dollars had been committed to national system, along with 25 million dollars as denominations to seven supported states.
He said that the programme includes enhancing access to FP services through the intervention of partner organisations.
According to him, CIFF also focuses on ensuring accelerated response to FP, breaking the cycle of HIV prevention and integrated pathways and supporting allied manufacturing firms.
The executive director explained that the programme was aimed at enhancing maternal and reproductive health services across the nation.
He said CIFF also intervene on climate change, nutrition and community resilience issues in different nations.
Kemplay assured continued support to the federal and state governments through the implementing partners.
In her address, the Executive Secretary of Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SSHCDA), Dr Larai Tambuwal, commended the organisation for choosing Sokoto among the benefiting states.
Tambuwal reiterated the importance of FP toward enhancing maternal and child health, reducing financial constraints and promoting physical and psychological well-being of parents.
She said “Nigeria is confronted with social, economic and development challenges, so there is the need for quality family health services and good data preservation.
“Sokoto State designed various programmes to improve the health and social statistics as previous records were not encouraging.”
Tambuwal disclosed that Gov. Ahmad Aliyu just released N30 million for FP services in the state, the first time in the state’s budget.
She assured more support to implementing partners and urged the people to embrace FP, considering the health benefits advocated by experts.
The executive secretary urged the people to disregard any non-expert information given to them about family planning.
She said that the community is open to support from the government and donor agencies that are capable of helping the people to live a better quality of life.
Earlier, the Regional Manager of Marie Stopes International (MSI), Dr Abdulrahman Ibrahim, in company of his Director, Operations, Ogechi Onuoha, provided insights on FP services and healthcare activities in Sokoto State.
Other partners take turns to make comment on different forms of contraceptives, capacity building to healthcare providers, as well as challenges faced.
NAN
