The Federal Government has introduced Self-Care in Sexual and Reproductive health and Right to Scale-up variety of Injectable Contraceptive to Kwara state Government.
Introducing the self Care guidelines during the high level advocacy visit to the state Ministry of health, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehnair said the Contraceptive; the Depot-medroxyprogesterone Acetate -Subcutaneous (DMPA-SC) has been introduced into the country’s family planning method mix.
The Minister who spoke through the Director, Reproductive health Care, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Afolabi, said the team pay high level advocacy visit
“The visit is to help key stakeholders and decision makers at the state and local government level 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 percent 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 state of the Federation to ensure 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 well being 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 the team on ground from the Federal Ministry of Health would train healthcare workers on the initiatives, while appealing for the support of the state government on the success of the program.
In his reaction, Dr Raji Razaq, Kwara 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 is crucial and requires intervention of all stakeholders.
According to him, the present administration since inception has prioritized health of the citizenry, and that massive resuscitation of the moribund health infrastructure has since commenced.
He stated that for the last two years, family health care 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 continue to take its toll on the country, adding that the Self-care initiatives will enhance Universal Healthcare coverage.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Oluwatosin Fakayode, Director of Public Health, Kwara Ministry of Health, added that the state government has been sponsoring regular family plannings programs across the 16 LGAs of the state.
He said the present administration has done alot in health care delivery in the state that have improved health care delivery in the state
