… Decries inadequate funding by LGAs
Niger state health facilities are currently experiencing shortages in Family Planning commodities following the increase in the Campaign for Family Planning in the State.
This, according to the Executive Director, Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA), Dr Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana is evident in the manner more women visit the Primary Health Care Centers in large numbers, to access the Services.
While decrying the inadequate funding for the Agency, Dr. Dangana said by the law establishing the Agency, it needs 15 percent of revenue allocation from the 25 Local Government Areas of the State for operational support.
He made this disclosure when the Centre for Communication and Reproductive Health (CCRHS) and the Team Lead of Niger State PAS Coalition Comprising of CCRHS and FOMWAN, Dr. Aliyu Yabagi Shehu paid a courtesy visit to deliberate on the state of the Agency’s Governing Board and Routine Immunization (RI) Task Force Committee; and to explore possible ways in which the advocacy outfit can support the Agency.
He lamented that instead of the designated 15 percent accrued for the Agency by law, less than N2.5million is gotten from few LGAs.
Dr. Dangana further disclosed that “if there is enough fund to support the SPHCDA it will go a long way to strengthen the implemenation of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy and enhance the achievement of universal health coverage.”
He further called on Civil Society Organisations and the Media to help the Agency in advocating for the timeline release of funds so as to improve the PHCs services.
Earlier, the Project Director, CCHRS, Dr. Shehu disclosed that, the essence of the visit was to advocate for improved and sustainable funding so that the Agency can function optimally.
In a related event, Dr Dangana disclosed at a Service Delivery Technical Working Group Monthly Meeting in Minna, that the importance of Family Planning can not be underscored, as areas of Health Care, Education, Feeding and Clothing are better managed with Child Spacing or Family Planning.
According to him “as a result of the increasing number of women visiting the Family Planning Service Delivery Points, Facilities are experiencing acute shortage of Commodities.
“In Niger state, the Programme has recorded significant progress, particularly during the Covid-19 lockdown where Service Delivery Points in PHCs rose from 222 to 527.
Furthermore, he opined that there is the need for quality data gathering, to guide during the planning process which will provide a consumption pattern to know areas that need scaling up of Services.
In her presentation, the State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Dorcas Abu said the State has recorded a remarkable success in the program.
She however disclosed that despite the successes achieved under the Programme, the State is still faced with the challenges of funding, inadequate skilled providers, inadequate supply of consumables, poor male involvement, difficulty in reaching the larger population of the State in hard to reach areas with bad roads and poor communication network and worst of all, insecurity.
