By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
A study “the Consumer’s Market for Family Planning (CM4FP)” conducted by Society for Family Health (SFH), has shown that most women in Kaduna State, bypass outlets close to them to access Family Planning (FP) services.
The study which was conducted in some selected communities in Kaduna state and three other states of Lagos, Abia and Niger is a pilot insight into FP supply and demand from the prospective of consumers in Nigeria.
Findings of the study was presented during a dissemination meeting in Kaduna.
The study also showed that proximity and service quality are top considerations driving consumers’ choice of family planning outlet and that static assessments of the total market fail to convey outlet-level changes over time.
CM4FP, research was funded by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation implemented by SFH in partnership with Population Services and Federal Ministry of Health.
This study tested the feasibility and utility of a range of novel approaches to capture information on the total family planning market in selected– mainly urban – locations in the the four states.
It was designed for four (4) rounds (one per quarter) of data collection but due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the research was concluded in round 3, according to Dr. Anthony Nwala, SFH, Practice Area Lead for Reproductive Health.
The research carried out a multi-round longitudinal family planning outlet census with an accompanying repeated cross-sectional household survey that allows for directly linking of family planning users to the outlets where they recently obtained their most recent family planning method.
Dr. Nwala, noted that the study is met to influence development in the FP sector in Nigeria and further spark up discussions on the state and other stakeholders to take action and expand research in that area.
“The purpose of this research is to elicit factors that the state government and other stakeholders can lookout to help improve FP in the state.
“So the first thing is to find out the reason why women go out. Mostly what we feel from our interactions with the women is the issue of privacy and confidentiality, what means is that government should look at the capacity building of the providers in all the service delivery points.
“There should be more youth friendly trainings for providers, they should be train on more quality service delivery. Like I said, privacy and confidentiality is an issue, women should be able to have confidence in the providers around and whatever is secret to them should be kept secret for them”. Dr. Nwala, added.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Amina Muhammad Baloni, Honorable Commissioner Kaduna State Ministry of Health, who spoke through the Director Planning and Research, Sunday Joseph, commended SFH for the study and assured of the state government commitment at improving FP.
