TheCable

The federal government has partnered the private sector to bridge the $29 million procurement funding gap for family planning commodities in a bid to curb maternal mortality.

Speaking on Wednesday during a high level private sector forum on family planning, Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health, said the cost of procurement for family planning products increased from $26.6 million in 2019 to $41.8 million in 2023.

He said over the same period, procurement funding gap increased from $5.7million to $29 million, making it impossible to achieve full supply of family planning commodities to health facilities.

Represented by Stella Nwosu, director, family planning at the ministry, Pate said the just concluded 64th national council on health meeting approved the request for establishment of budget lines for family planning at both national and sub-national levels.

“A broad-based stakeholder engagement process involving the public, social marketing as well as the private sectors is required,” he said.

“It is important to note that a national guideline on private engagement for family planning has already been developed and will be a useful tool in driving this process.”

Pate said the forum aims to secure commitment for family planning by private sectors, present family planning investment cases for feedback and discuss plans towards actualising the family planning target of 2030.

He also called for strategies around innovative financing and technology-driven family planning programmes in the country.

“Actualising local production of family planning commodities in Nigeria should also be on the agenda with international manufacturers being encouraged to go into partnership with Nigerian companies,” he said.

“We should also not forget to come up with list of “asks” for government to address towards creating the enabling environment for our ideas to thrive.”

On her part, Salma Anas, special adviser to the president on health, said the funding gap posed myriad challenges to family planning service provision.

“Our chance at enabling the country to reap the dividends of this demography lies in our ability to follow this transition with a lower fertility rate, which would enable a greater per capita investment in health, education and other aspects of human development and could lead to huge economic returns for the country,” she said.