Kenya adopts Nasarawa’s family planning model to reduce maternal deaths
Healthcare professionals from Kenya have visited Nasarawa State to study the administration of injectable and implant-based family planning methods as part of efforts to tackle maternal and child mortality.
The visit, under the IntegratE Project implemented by the Society for Family Health, aims to improve service delivery among Community Pharmacists and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors.
The delegation, comprising doctors, pharmacists, and key health officials from Kenya’s Ministry of Health and Nasarawa State’s Ministry of Health, held discussions on best practices for administering contraceptive implants and expanding access to family planning services.
Speaking on Thursday in Keffi LGA during a one-day learning visit organised by SFH, the leader of the Kenyan delegation, Dr Serem Edward, said the visit aimed to understand how community-based providers administer contraceptive implants.
“We came here because we want to understand how implants are administered by pharmacists. Our goal is to bring family planning services closer to the population in Kenya,” Edward stated.
He noted that Kenya’s modern contraceptive prevalence rate stands at 57%, adding that learning from Nigeria’s model could help reduce maternal and child mortality in his country.
“Nigeria’s intervention is crucial because it extends family planning services to communities where human resources are limited,” he added.
Also, Salome Aya, Reproductive and Family Planning Coordinator at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, welcomed the delegation, highlighting the state’s achievements in expanding access to contraceptive services.
“So far, over 60,000 women across the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa have accessed family planning services through government healthcare facilities, private hospitals, community pharmacists, and PPMVs,” she disclosed.
Aya noted that while free family planning services are only available in public health facilities, the state government has empowered CPs and PPMVs to expand access and reduce maternal and child mortality.
Meanwhile, Michael Alagbile, representing SFH and the IntegratE Project, said the initiative has broadened access to family planning, ensuring that women can obtain contraceptives regardless of their location.
“The focus is to expand access to quality healthcare for all residents, ensuring that no woman is left behind in accessing family planning services,” he stated.
Commending the Kenyan Ministry of Health for seeking to adopt Nigeria’s approach, Alagbile expressed hope that the visit would inspire Kenya to implement similar, if not improved, practices.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr John Damina, Permanent Secretary at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, commended SFH for championing the IntegratE Project and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting reproductive health initiatives.
“This initiative empowers women to take control of their reproductive health, and the Nasarawa State government remains committed to supporting these interventions,” he said.
The visit was attended by Emmanuel Odiniya, State Programme Coordinator of SFH; Esther Yonah, Task Shifting and Task Sharing Coordinator of Family Planning in Nasarawa; representatives from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors, and the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, among others.
With this collaboration, Kenya aims to replicate Nasarawa’s model, ensuring wider access to modern contraceptive methods and reducing maternal and child mortality in both countries, Damina concluded.
