A Non-Governmental Organisation Pathfinder International in collaboration with the Gombe state and other major stakeholders in the health sector have launched a policy plan to expand family planning mix method and to increase Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) in the state.
Speaking during the launch of the policy in Gombe on Monday, Project Officer Pathfinder International Mr Yusuf Nuhu said the policy that was being launched was adopted and adapted from the national policy on DMPA-SC, expressing hopes that the policy will help in improving the CPR of the state towards achieving the national target.
On his part, the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (GSPHCDA), Alhaji Abdulrahman Shuaibu, commended the efforts of Pathfinder International towards increased budgetary commitment and implementation of relevant policies to support family planning across the country and Gombe state in particular.
Shuaibu, represented by Hajia Maryam Abubakar, the Acting Director Primary Health Department, GSPHCDA, said the policy was developed and validated by stakeholders in the state, saying “DMPA-SC is a new additional mix in family planning and a self- injection method piloted in Gombe and the Akwa Ibom States.’’
“This increase in method mix will increase access to family planning since clients can also inject themselves. Since family planning is key to reducing maternal and child death, this policy document is a welcome development.’’
On his part, Dr Ifeka Cletus, Co-ordinator, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (REACH), Save the Children International, pledged support for the implementation of the programme in the two local governments where the REACH programme was being implemented, adding that it would go a long way in ensuring adolescent and all females who are sexually active can take decisions individually concerning their family planning issues.
