In a significant effort to promote reproductive health and well-being, the Ogun State Government has partnered with Pathfinder International to train health service providers on female condom promotion and advocacy.

Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary HealthCare Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, stated this during the training designed to improve reproductive health outcomes by increasing access to and use of female condoms.

Represented by the Ogun State, Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs. Busirat Adelani, emphasised that female condoms offer dual protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

Ogunsola expressed gratitude to Pathfinder International, a renowned global health organisation for providing technical assistance and expertise on healthcare services, for their unwavering support while encouraging healthcare service providers to cascade the training to other health workers and the community at large. Saying that the training was expected to have a positive impact on the community, enabling women and men to make informed choices about their reproductive health.

In her address, Representative of Pathfinder, who also serves as Chairman of Family Health Initiatives, Mrs. Oluwakemi Balogun, said the objectives of the partnership were to advocate for the supply and distribution of female condoms, raise awareness about their availability and benefits and increase the capacity of stakeholders, communities, and individuals to generate demand and advocate for increased availability of female condoms.

She appreciated the State Government for its relentless efforts in the health sector across the State, saying that the organisation would continue to do its best in promoting family planning in the State, towards reducing the high rate of unplanned pregnancy, low uptake of contraceptives by targeting key populations and vulnerable groups across the State.

Reacting, Chief Nursing Officer, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta,

Mrs. Adebukola Bankole, expressed gratitude to the Ogun State Government and Pathfinder International for organising the timely training in promoting female condoms, pledging to disseminate the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to other healthcare workers and the broader community, towards amplifying the impact of the initiative.