Edo State Government Vows To Expand Family Planning Interventions

BY FAVOUR PERCY-IDUBOR/ BENIN

IN a bid to reduce maternal mor­tality and address other repro­ductive health issues, the Edo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustain and expand family planning interventions across the state.

The assurance was given by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, at a stakeholders’ meeting on Sustaining Family Plan­ning Interventions held in Benin City.

The meeting was organized in collaboration with The Challenge Initiative (TCI), which has partnered with the Edo State Government over the past four years to address critical gaps in the public health landscape.

Oshiomhole highlighted the posi­tive impact of TCI’s support in boosting the uptake of family planning services across several local government areas.

He attributed the success to a dedi­cated and innovative community-based approach that has brought reproductive health services closer to the people, empowered families, strengthened healthcare systems, and improved overall outcomes.

“With focused interventions in nine LGAs, TCI has helped to drive demand creation, improve service delivery, and build the capacity of health workers,” the commissioner said.

He further noted that TCI’s visible footprints in improved access to family planning commodities and integration of youth-friendly services have ex­panded community knowledge on the benefits of voluntary family planning.

According to Dr. Oshiomhole, “The ministry took up the challenge of rep­licating TCI’s model in the remaining nine local government areas. We did this not just to match TCI’s efforts but to ensure a statewide reach, one that affirms our commitment to equitable health care access across the 18 local government areas.”

“The results speak for themselves, we have immeasurable increase in contra­ceptives prevalence, a stronger referral system and an encouraging reduction in unmet needs family planning services”.

The commissioner also emphasized a shift in community mindsets, noting that more individuals are now accept­ing and owning their reproductive health choices, guided by adequate information and respectful care.

Also speaking at the event, TCI rep­resentative, Mrs. Dorcas, appealed to the state government to ensure timely release of funds to drive and sustain the family planning interventions. She further urged the government to dem­onstrate its capacity to domesticate and implement relevant policies.