The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Monday in Kaduna handed over family planning commodities funded by the Gates Foundation, to the Kaduna State government.

Audu Alayande, UNFPA’s assistant representative and reproductive health specialist, did the handing over at the Kaduna State Health Supply Management Agency (KADHSMA).

He stated that the items would help address the demand gap for family planning products in the state.

Mr Alayande acknowledged the severe shortage of family planning commodities in Kaduna, warning that this could hinder Nigeria’s goal of achieving a 27 per cent modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) by 2030.

He also highlighted that the funding gap to address the stockouts in Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos was $27.7 million.

“We are in a very serious situation,” Mr Alayande said. “We all appreciate the challenges that childbearing can bring to women, households, and communities, especially in the current difficult circumstances facing the country.”

He added that UNFPA had reached out for additional support from other donors and had received four of the 13 expected commodities, with the remaining ones still anticipated.

“This is the right thing to do so that the government can begin using its channels to distribute the commodities to every facility,” he explained.

Anthony Shamang, the Gates Foundation’s State consultant, expressed pride in the 10-year partnership with Kaduna State, which had helped increase the CPR in the state and other regions like Kano and Lagos.

He thanked UNFPA for facilitating the procurement and transportation of the commodities from overseas.

Mr Shamang acknowledged that despite the efforts, challenges remained, particularly in ensuring the commodities reached the service delivery points.

He emphasised that the partnership’s goal was to ensure the commodities reached the last mile, and the Gates Foundation was committed to further supporting this effort.

Bello Jamoh, executive secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, stated that the commodities would help the state surpass 24 CPR.

He thanked UNFPA and the Gates Foundation for their support, while Aisha Ishaq, executive secretary of KADHSMA, assured the agency’s commitment to managing and coordinating the distribution of the commodities.

Kaduna State’s Commissioner of Health, Umma Ahmed, expressed gratitude for the support, which she said was essential in addressing the commodity shortages that had been a significant challenge.

She emphasised that the availability of these commodities would improve access to family planning services, contributing to better health outcomes, girls’ education, and economic growth.

The family planning commodities provided include Implanon, IUDs, excluton, and depo-provera, among others.

(NAN)