The Ogun State Government says it is committed to sustaining the investment in reproductive health and family planning initiatives, to further improve the wellbeing of women of childbearing age.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker made this known in Abeokuta during a close-out meeting for Family Health Initiative (FAHIO), the State advocacy working group, organised by a donor agency, Pathfinder International, Nigeria in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Development Board.

Coker, who acknowledged the roles and impact of advocacy activities in the implementation of reproductive health and family planning programmes, emphasised the need to strengthen the group towards improved maternal and child health outcomes, adding that adolescent and youths’ sexuality education would soon be incorporated into the school curriculum.

She noted that the activities of the group had helped the State record remarkable achievements in the health sector, particularly on its Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR), lauding the partnership drive of Pathfinder International in the provision of logistics and capacity building for various stakeholders.

“The State is transiting from the old system of government funding of healthcare provision into a health insurance system that will capture and benefit all, and this is a better time to ensure that advocacy is supported for sustained service delivery”, Coker said.

  Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola affirmed that the support of development partners on health had brought about a huge impact on the Board's activities, assuring that it would build on the successes made on policy and funding.

   Speaking, the Chairman, FAHIO, Mrs. Kemi Balogun said the group was determined to help government realise better health indices, through increased uptake of family planning contraceptives, improved funding for family planning programmes, among others, pointing out that Adolescent Reproductive Health Technical Working sub-group had been inaugurated, to advocate for issues relating to adolescents and youths’ reproductive health.

In his remark, the Programme Officer, Reproductive Health and Family Planning, Pathfinder International, Nigeria, Malam Yusuff Nuhu appreciated the State government for providing an enabling environment for partners to thrive, saying his organisation would continue to work with the State in achieving efficient health care delivery.