Expert Seeks Govts’ Commitment To Achieve FP Vision 2030

An expert in family planning, Dr. Ejike Oji, has called on the federal and state governments to put more efforts in ensuring the attainment of the “FP 2030” goal in family planning.
The goal, which is for 120million married women and girls to have access to quality family planning services that are of right-based, was a target set by over 65 countries under the auspices of UNFPA, Bill Gates Foundation, and DFIDs, first in 2012, and reviewed in 2020.
Oji, who made the call during a recent Family Planning 2030 recommitment process consultation meeting with sub-national CSOs, youths, interfaith, women groups and the media, in Port Harcourt, stated the need for governments at all levels to take family planning more seriously.
“My advice to the government is that they should take family planning seriously, not just at the federal level, but also at the sub-national”, he said.
He, however, lamented the current situation in which, according to him, it was only at the national level that something was really being done on family planning.
“In fact, if there’s anything being done for family planning, it’s actually at the federal level. This (state) level, not much is being done. Most of the states don’t even have the line items for family planning. So, they depend on the Federal Government”, he said.
According to Oji, states do not have resources to “cover supply even when they get the commodities to make sure the last mile is taken care of”.
He explained that this means ensuring that each of the family planning services gets to the women wherever they are.
Towards this end, Oji said: “What we have proposed in this recommitment process is that both at federal and state levels, we should budget, at least, 1per cent for whichever budget we have put on health, put it on family planning. That way, we will be able to meet all the needs of family planning services”.
He also used the opportunity to call on all CBOs and CSOs to focus on more advocacies to government, and possibly “push government to do the right thing”.
More importantly, he said: “When we admit and agree to the commitments we have made, we make sure that we hold everybody accountable: the donors, international non-governmental organizations, as well as implementing donors, and also hold ourselves accountable to ensure that we do what we have committed to do”.

By: Sogbeba Dokubo