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Pate: Fall in Funding Affecting Supply of Family Planning Materials
Ugo Aliogo
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has stated that the increasing funding gap for the procurement of family planning materials like contraceptives was hobbling the ability of the country to achieve full supply of the commodities.
Pate spoke yesterday in Lagos during the first-ever high-level private sector forum on family planning on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria.
He stated that for instance in the last five years, cost of procurement has risen from $26.6 million in 2019 to $41.8 million in 2023, whereas over the same period, procurement funding gap has increased from $5.7 million in 2019 to $29 million in 2023.
According to the minister who was who was represented at the event by the Director, Family Planning at the ministry, Dr Stella Nwosu, this was making it impossible to achieve full supply of family planning commodities to health facilities in the country.
“It is worthy of note that in the last five years, cost of procurement has risen from $26,685,834.33 in 2019 to $41,852,705.15 in 2023. Over the same period, procurement funding gap has increased from $5,794,330.95 in 2019 to $29,054,665.15 in 2023, making it impossible to achieve full supply of family planning commodities to health facilities,” he said.
He also stated the Federal Ministry of Health had unveiled a four-point agenda for the health sector, including: improved governance, improved population health outcome and unlocking healthcare value chain and health security.
Pate noted that the ministry had equally embarked on wide-range interventions in collaboration with stakeholders.
The minister said that the the just concluded 64th National Council on Health meeting approved the request for establishment and funding of budget lines for family planning at both national and sub-national levels for the implementation of Nigeria’s family planning programme.
He added that a broad-based stakeholder engagement process involving the public, social marketing as well as the private sectors was required.
According to the minister, a national guideline on private engagement for family planning has already been developed and would be a useful tool in driving the process.
Pate noted that the forum aims to secure commitment for family planning by private sectors, present family planning investment cases for feedback and discuss plans towards actualising family planning target of 2030.
“Actualising local production of family planning commodities in Nigeria should also be on the agenda with international manufacturers being encouraged to go into partnership with Nigerian companies.
“We should also not forget to come up with list of asks for government to address towards creating the enabling environment for our ideas to thrive,” he said.
Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim, said the funding gap caused a myriad of challenges to family planning service provision.
Ibrahim explained that it had attendant impact on other health indices, including maternal deaths and support for the actualisation of the reproductive health rights of women.
She said the country was at the critical stage in its potential to reap dividends from its demographic transition.
Ibrahim added that available data had shown reductions in overall mortality leading to improvements in life expectancy, with an already bulging youth population.
“It is clear from the foregoing, that the scaling of family planning service provisioning in Nigeria is an intervention that we must all focus on ensuring its success.
“As we deliberate with our private sector partners during this high-level meeting, it is important that we keep at the back of our minds, that what we are seeking accomplish here, is a strategy that can help to save the lives of our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, who need not continue to die needlessly.
“ We should further remember that we are discussing collaborations that have the potential to enable us to bestow on our children and grand children, a brighter future, by enabling Nigeria to realise its demographic dividends,” she stressed.
Also, the Deputy Representative, UNFPA Nigeria, Mr. Koessan Kuawu, said family planning would save the lives of thousands of women and girls in communities in the country.
