By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

The federal government has explained that it developed Private Sector Engagement Strategy on Sexual and Reproductive Health because of the realisation that the private sector was not being harnessed adequately in Nigeria’s family planning programme implementation.

This was as it said Nigerians with responsibility for the governance of the country needed to be supported with appropriate information that will help them make critical decisions regarding the implementation of identified interventions to scale up delivery and uptake of family planning services and commodities.

The Director and Head of the Reproductive Health Division at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Tinu Taylor, said these in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a One-day Summit on Re-echoing Voices for Family Planning Funding and Need to Make Maternal Health Services Free,” organised by Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, ANHeJ.

The event with the theme:”Re-echoing Voices for Family Planning Funding and need to make Maternal Health Services Free by incoming Political Leaders”, was supported by the Partnership for Advocacy In Child and Family Health at Scale (PACFaH@scale), anchored by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

Mrs Taylor,who was represented by Pharm. Ugochukwu Alex, Deputy Director of Family Planning Logistics, explained that government developed the strategy with the hope that key private sector players will embrace the strategy and contribute to the expected success.

She said:”The Federal Ministry of Health realised that the potentials of the private sector are not being harnessed adequately, hence the development of the Private Sector Engagement Strategy on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The government is hoping that the key Private Sector players will embrace this strategy and contribute to the expected success.

“Let me remind you that family planning is globally recognized as an important strategy/intervention for the prevention of maternal morbidity and mortality.

” It has also been used by many nations to achieve remarkable socio-economic growth and development. It is in light of the above, that Nigeria has incorporated family planning as a key component in the National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development as well as the National Development Plan, both currently being implemented by the Governments of the Federation.

“The above therefore strengthens and continues to make relevant Federal Government’s pronouncement on 7” April 2011 through the Honourable Minister of Health making family planning information, services and commodities free at all levels of the public health care delivery system.

“It is important that since that declaration, the demand for family planning information, services and commodities has been increasing exponentially leading to a significant increase in funding requirements for procurement of needed commodities and other interventions which is increasingly becoming difficult to keep up with. Of course, this increase has resulted in stock out of the family planning commodities which in turn is negatively impacting the achievement of our key family planning targets.”

According to her,”Health journalists in particular and the media in general have important roles to play in supporting on-going effort of government at positioning family planning as major strategy for accelerating the country’s socioeconomic development with adequate investments to reap appropriate measure of demographic dividend from the current youth bulge.”

She tasked the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists,ANHeJ, to continue with its effort at keeping their members and the general public well informed on issues around improving the health and overall well-being of Nigerians reproductive age especially women and girls.

She said:”This event represents a necessary step towards getting the about-to-be-elected political actors to be properly primed to keeping faith with the country’s commitment to sustained increase in use of contraceptives by Nigerians of reproductive age across the country.

“Nigerians with responsibility for the governance of this great nation need to be supported with appropriate information that will help them make critical decisions regarding implementation of identified interventions to scale up delivery and uptake of family planning services and commodities.

“This requires sustained financing and continuous effort at creating an enabling environment by our political leaders, among others. This Summit is a very laudable event and it’s coming at the right time, especially now that the country is undergoing transition to a new government by May this year.”

She urged the association and all other stakeholders to continue their collaboration with the ministry to enable the country improve its indices in healthcare delivery.

She spoke further:”The Federal Ministry of Health, as part of the solutions has developed and is currently disseminating the National Guideline for State-funded Procurement of Family Planning Commodities which purpose is to promote domestic funding for procurement and distribution with substantial contributions from the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

“The adoption and inclusive implementation by the national and sub-national level Governments, of Nigeria’s Family Planning Blueprint, FP2030 Commitment as well as other critical family planning documents equally form part of the solutions to the challenges facing the national family planning programme. “

Speaking also at the event,Lead/Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Association For Reproductive & Family Health (ARFH) ,Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, called for improved and sustainable funding for health and Family Planning in the country.

Prof. Ladipo,while delivering a paper, tagged:“Making Maternal Health Services Free, How States Can Make It Work “, regretted that the government of Nigeria had not deemed it necessary to give priority attention to the health sector even as he noted that the nation’s constitution recommends it.

On his part,the Chairman, Management Committee, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji advocated improved funding for family planning in Nigeria.

Dr Orji, speaking on adverse implications of neglect of funding family planning,advised that concerted efforts be made by concerned Nigerians to enthrone a sound and effective family planning administration in the country.