Nigeria’s challenge with bridging its birth control gap has drawn intervention from DKT Nigeria, a provider of contraceptives and family planning services in Nigeria.
The firm provided free family planning methods to about 500 women during a two-day outreach conducted at the general hospitals at Ikorodu, Orile Agege, and the Primary Health Centre Idu in Abuja.
With a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of only 12 per cent, millions of women in Nigeria remain without access to essential family planning services.
This contributes to the country’s high fertility rate and exacerbates socio-economic strains, as highlighted in the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey by the United States Agency for International Development.
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The unmet need for contraception is particularly high among vulnerable populations, with nearly half of sexually active unmarried women expressing a desire to avoid pregnancy but lacking the means to do so.
As the Nigerian government sets ambitious targets for increasing contraceptive use, private stakeholders such as DKT Nigeria are stepping up efforts to deliver innovative solutions, including self-injectable contraceptives, aimed at empowering women and improving reproductive health outcomes.
The firm hopes that addressing systemic barriers, such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure and cultural misconceptions, will be crucial to achieving meaningful progress in family planning accessibility across the nation.
As the USAID survey finds that the contraceptive discontinuation rate among women in Nigeria is as high as 41 per cent, the initiative seeks to empower women in these communities with the knowledge to continue to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and safe sex practices.
The outreach was executed in partnership with the Family Planning Unit of the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Federal Capital Territory Primary Healthcare Board.
It enabled the mobilization of resources, healthcare professionals, and community engagement.
The outreach began with an awareness walk from the DKT office in the A.G Leventis building in Iddo to the Oyingbo Ultra-Modern Market.
Read also: Why we are embracing family planning – Akwa Ibom religious leaders
The walk was joined by Nollywood actress Seyi Edun and representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, who helped raise awareness about the importance of family planning and safe sex.
Following the walk, a health talk was held at the Oyingbo Market in Lagos State, with the team providing essential information about family planning methods, reproductive health, and wellness.
Free vital checks were conducted for women and men, ensuring they had access to basic health screenings. To promote safe sex practices, samples of condoms and lubricants were distributed, targeting youth in the area to encourage responsible sexual behaviour.
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