UNFPA donates family planning commodities to Ogun

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Thursday donated family planning commodities to the Ogun State Government.

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Dr Akinkunmi Akinbanjo, the Maternal Health/Family Planning Analyst, Lagos Liaison Office of the fund presented the donation at the State Central Medical Store in Abeokuta.

He said that the state remained the second to benefit from the gesture, adding that Ogun had shown interest in the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls.

He explained that the state made a procurement through UNFPA and the agency was on ground to hand over the commodities to the state.

He stressed that the commodities will later be distributed to health facilities for the benefit of women.

The analyst said that the country had been operating free policy on family planning commodities, and a national basket fund used to buy commodities.

He, however, pointed out that due to widening funding gap, the Federal Ministry of Health decided that states should also contribute to the basket fund to address the gap.

He added that “to ensure availability of adequate and quality contraceptives, a guideline was developed for state procurement of commodities.

“It is not that states have not been buying commodities, but there was no standard framework for the procurement.”

The guideline, he said, was launched in 2021 with the support of UNFPA to ensure availability of more resources for procurement of the commodities.

In addition, the guideline will standardise procurement, he added.

Responding, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, reiterated the state government’s commitment toward improving the health of the people.

Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, Coker assured that the state would buy more family planning commodities.

NAN/Wumi