The Federal Government on Monday in Ilorin presented the National Guidelines on Self-Care, introduction and scale-up of variety of injectable contraceptive, to Kwara government.
Presentating the document, Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, said the Contraceptive; the Depot-medroxyprogesterone Acetate -Subcutaneous (DMPA-SC), has been introduced into the country’s family planning method mix.
The minister represented by Dr Kayode Afolabi, Director of Reproduction, Federal Ministry of Health, explained that the team is in the state on an advocacy visit.
“The visit is to help key stakeholders and decision makers at the state and local government levels to fully align with and promote the national government’s goal of expanding access to self-care initiatives and DMPA-SC injection and services,” he said.
He described self-care as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s health.
“High quality self-care interventions serve as an important alternative to achieving universal health coverage, as people can maintain their health status outside of the usual health facility or health worker-based services,’ he said.
Ehanire stated that Nigeria accounts for about 20 per cent of global maternal deaths, while the infant mortality rate is 67 per 1000 live births.
He lamented that the indices is among the highest in the world, adding that every opportunity and intervention must be deployed in all states of the federation to ensure that maternal and child mortality is tackled.
“Self-Care is a very good opportunity and new strategy which is among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and wellbeing of Nigerians,” he said.
The minister listed some of the focus areas of the national guidelines on self-care to include Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Safe Post-Abortal care, Providing High Quality Services for Family Planning and Improving Antenatal Delivery Postpartum Newborn care.
He disclosed that teams on ground from the Federal Ministry of Health would train healthcare workers on the initiatives, while appealing for support of the state government on success of the programme.
Dr Raji Razaq, the state Commissioner for Health, commended the federal government for such initiatives, saying that the intervention is strategic.
He stated that reduction of maternal and child mortality was crucial and required intervention of all stakeholders.
According to him, the present administration since inception has prioritised health of the citizenry, and massive resuscitation of moribund health infrastructure has since commenced.
He stated that for the last two years, family healthcare and family planning have improved in the state, adding that this is best way to prevent maternal and child mortality.
Razaq lamented that maternal mortality cases had continued to take its toll on the country, noting that the self-care initiative will enhance Universal Healthcare Coverage.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, the state Director of Public Health, said the state government has been sponsoring regular family planning programmes across the 16 local government areas of the state. (NAN)
