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At the just concluded National Family Planning Conference in Abuja, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to advancing family planning and reproductive health in Nigeria.
Speaking at the conference, the Foundation highlighted its strategic efforts to support Nigeria’s drive toward achieving universal access to family planning services as a critical component of improving health outcomes and driving sustainable development.
Representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Rodio Diallo emphasized the pivotal role of strengthening the supply chain for effectiveness in family planning penetration. “I think for us really is the urgency in fixing the supply chain, whether it is securing commodities, whether it is ensuring the products reach the last mile and whether it is ensuring that women will have various choices.
“Nigeria needs to get FP commodities and not rely on donors to deal with the needs of our people. I think every state should make it a priority and even a pride of buying commodities for their people. Without commodity, there is no programme and there is no impact to expect and women will continue to die from unsafe abortion, because they will have sex and may not want to keep the baby. We don’t want to be here in years to come talking about high maternal mortality rates.
“Secondly, sustainable funding is key. We are in a crossroad of many opportunities we didn’t have before. The sector-wide approach gives a unique opportunity to increase donor alignment in the country priorities, put money that can be earmarked to ensure life-saving commodities and funding.
“Prioritising FP services in Annual Operational Plan (AOP). Many of the donors here are supposing AOP in many states but we have to make sure FP is prioritised in those AOPs. We supported Lagos state and they have fully included all FP services in State health insurance.”
Rodio, Deputy Director for Family Health stressed the need for strategic partnership among donors, states and all the divisions and innovative partnership at the Local Government Area (LGA) levels.
No doubt, Nigeria faces significant challenges in family planning uptake, with unmet needs persisting among millions of women of reproductive age. However, progress is being made. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, state governments, and local organizations, has been pivotal in supporting innovative programs that address barriers to access, increase community awareness, and improve the supply chain for contraceptives.
The conference, themed “Investing in Family Planning for a Sustainable Future”, serves as a platform to discuss innovative solutions, strengthen partnerships, and mobilize resources to meet Nigeria’s ambitious Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) targets. These targets aim to increase modern contraceptive prevalence among women of reproductive age to 27% by 2030.
In line with this vision, the key take aways from the conference include expanding access, innovative financing, advocacy and policy support, data-driven solutions, among others.
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.
In developing countries, it focuses on improving health and giving people the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.
