Zamfara State Government has pledged full support for initiatives aimed at encouraging women to embrace family planning for improved health and well-being.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nafisa Maradun, made this known during the first batch of training for family planning providers on the use of Hormonal H-IUDs, held in Gusau, the state capital.
The event was organized by the Health for Life and Development Foundation in collaboration with the Zamfara State Ministry of Health, with support from the Catalytic Opportunities Fund.
Dr. Maradun, represented by the Executive Secretary of the Hospital Services Management Board, Mustapha Marafa, said the training is targeted at nurses and midwives to enhance their capacity in administering Hormonal IUDs and managing relevant data effectively.
“We are offering 100 percent government support for this initiative,” she said. “This administration is committed to partnering with any organization willing to help improve healthcare delivery in our communities.”
Executive Director of the Health for Life and Development Foundation, Dr. Abubakar Danladi, said the training marks the beginning of a larger project to increase uptake of the Hormonal H-IUD method in the state.
He explained that the training would be conducted in batches, starting with 25 participants.
“We plan to train 52 participants each from general and specialist hospitals in the first phase,” he said. “This current group represents the second phase and is part of a ‘training of trainers’ approach.”
Dr. Danladi added that the participants will step down the training at their respective health facilities, with the process monitored over six weeks. “In total, we aim to train 300 healthcare providers who will be equipped to deliver quality family planning services using the Hormonal H-IUD method.
Earlier, the Zamfara State Coordinator for the H-IUD project under the Health for Life and Development Foundation, Amina Bala, emphasized the need to raise more awareness about the Hormonal H-IUD family planning method.
“Hormonal IUDs have been available for some time, yet acceptance remains low. One key reason we’ve identified is provider bias,” she said.
According to her, training healthcare providers particularly in counseling is critical to overcoming this challenge.
“Family planning cannot be effective without proper counseling. During the process, women must be given comprehensive information about all available family planning methods so they can make informed decisions,” Bala added.
COV/AMINU DALHATU
