The Osun State government says it will sustain the significant improvement achieved in family planning, with the support of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), The Challenge Initiative (TCI).

The state Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, said this on Tuesday in Osogbo during a stakeholders’ meeting on “Sustaining Family Planning Intervention: Transitioning Osun Government to Self-Reliance”.

The programme was organised by the state government in partnership with TCI.

Mr Akintola said the partnership had led to a significant improvement in family planning uptake, while the state government remained committed to prioritising family planning and reproductive health.

“We recognise the importance of family planning in achieving sustainable development and improving the health and well-being of our citizens.

“As we celebrate our achievements and recognise outstanding contributions, I urge us all to continue working together towards a future where every individual in the state will have access to quality family planning services,” he said.

In her remarks, Ololade Abatan, the state family planning coordinator, stated that 76,008 men and women had adopted family planning in the last three years of TCI intervention in the state.

Ms Abatan said this was a significant improvement in family planning uptake in the state following TCI intervention.

Also, Taiwo Johnson, country director of TCI, said there had been a gradual, remarkable improvement in family planning uptake in the state following TCI intervention.

“As the state government was transitioning to self-reliance in family planning, TCI wanted to see more women taking up family planning in the state.

“After three years of TCI intervention, the state will now start to fund and own its family planning programmes.

“One of the things we mentioned when we started was that we wanted the state to reach the stage of sustainability.

“This basically means that Osun State will start funding and owning its family planning programmes after an average of three and a half years of TCI intervention to ensure the sustainability of the various achievements,” she said.

(NAN)