The Society for Family Health, in collaboration with Family Health International 360 and the Federal Ministry of Health, has disseminated findings from the Research on Scale-up of the Hormonal IUD in New and Emerging Markets project in Nasarawa.

The dissemination meeting held on wednesday in Lafia brought together representatives of ministries of health, development partners, healthcare providers, researchers, donor agencies, professional associations, media organisations and SFH management.

Abdulsamad Salihu, the executive director of donor-funded portfolio directorate at SFH, described the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s reproductive health journey.

Mr Salihu noted that the hormonal intrauterine device offered women an additional high-quality contraceptive option that could improve client satisfaction, expand method choice and strengthen informed reproductive health decision-making.

According to him, the project findings revealed significant improvements in service delivery, availability, accessibility and acceptability of the hormonal IUD as part of the family planning method mix.

He added that findings presented at the meeting showed that hormonal IUDs were offered in every state in Nigeria between 2024 and 2025, with more than 8,400 facilities providing the service.

The SFH executive director said the study also showed that women viewed the hormonal IUD positively because they experienced few or no negative side effects and considered it a reliable method for preventing pregnancy.

He further stated that healthcare providers were overwhelmingly supportive of the method, citing its therapeutic benefits for women with heavy menstrual bleeding and the positive menstrual changes experienced by clients.

Ibrahim Alhassan, the permanent secretary of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, described hormonal IUDs as strategic interventions for preventing unwanted pregnancies and reducing maternal mortality.

Mr Alhassan stressed the need for greater involvement of men in family planning advocacy and awareness campaigns, noting that dissemination of information should not end with the meeting. He urged participants to take the findings to communities to ensure wider awareness and improved uptake of family planning services.

Helen Anyasi, the country lead of SHINE Project at FHI 360, said the project was designed to address low awareness, provider capacity gaps and inadequate availability of IUD services in Nigeria’s public health system.

She explained that the project, implemented in Nasarawa, Bauchi, Oyo and Ebonyi, examined provider training needs, user experiences, community acceptability and the effectiveness of digital training approaches for healthcare providers.

According to her, the studies utilised both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including surveys, interviews, focus group discussions and clinical observations to assess provider competency and service delivery practices.

Participants at the meeting called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, implementing partners, healthcare providers and donor agencies to ensure that evidence generated through the SHINE project translates into policy action and expanded access to quality family planning services.

(NAN)