The Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency says it has recorded 28, 565 clients as new Acceptance for Family Planning between January and March 2023.
The Deputy Family Planning Coordinator in the agency, Mrs. Aise Fada, told journalists in Gombe during the Quarterly Meeting of the Media Working Group, that 456 facilities were providing Family Planning Services in the first quarter. Mrs. Fada said those facilities were in turn reporting to the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
She, however, appealed to the journalists to put in more effort in advocating for the provision of more injectables, which was the major challenge confronting the provision of Child Spacing Services in the state.
According to her, the state has no problem with commodity stock-out, but more consumables are needed, such as cotton wool, xylocaine and planter, among others, because the procedure for administering family could not be carried out without them. The shortage of the injectable, she said had made facilities providing child spacing charge stipends from clients coming for these services before they are offered such services.
The Deputy Family Planning Coordinator said the agency in Gombe State announced that a partner would be coming into the state to carry out a project on self-injectable, known as Subcutaneous depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. Mrs. Fada said the self-injectable will be taught to the women in the state, so that they could administer it on themselves.
She said the partner intended to train chief agents and community volunteers, who would in turn go into the communities to teach women how to use the product, which is also free of charge. There is no side effect and every dose is meant to last for three months.
The Quarterly Meeting of the Media Working Group, which is being funded by the Challenge Initiative, usually reviews activities carried out and plans new strategies on how to promote child spacing services among childbearing women in the state for healthier mothers and children.
