NPHCDA distributes family planning kits to midwives in 5 states

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has handed over 90 family planning kits to 30 midwives, among more than 1000 deployed to primary health centres under the Midwives Service Scheme. Each midwife gets three kits containing materials and instrument for use in administering long-lasting reversible contraceptives at health centres where they will be […]

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has handed over 90 family planning kits to 30 midwives, among more than 1000 deployed to primary health centres under the Midwives Service Scheme.

Each midwife gets three kits containing materials and instrument for use in administering long-lasting reversible contraceptives at health centres where they will be stationed in Nasarawa, Benue, Kaduna, Kogi and the FCT.

NPHCDA director of primary health services Nnenna Ihebuzor defended handing the kits directly to midwives instead of health facilities to give midwives ready access.

“We have evidence that nurses across the country are the ones responsible for supply of family planning commodities. Giving them the commodities allows them to provide those services,” Ihebuzor said.

“If women have a choice to choose when to have their pregnancy, how far apart, then we can reduce maternal mortality. You have to be pregnant to have maternal mortality,” she explained.

The handover of the kits, sourced with assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) came amidst training midwives in emergency obstetric care to manage especially bleeding during childbirth.

Sabrina Pestilli, of UNFPA, said knowledge of emergency obstetric care combined with effective use of family planning commodities have been shown to help reduce pregnancy related complications and deaths by up a third.

Midwife Loveth Ogbehin said many women in her area of deployment in Benue have not known the benefits of family planning commodities, insisting, “When we go back, we will mobilize them.”