Association demands inclusion of FP services into Health Insurance Schemes

Association demands inclusion of FP services into Health Insurance Schemes

By Mustapha Yauri
Reproduction
Abuja, Nov. 7, 2018 (NAN) The Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to include Family Planning (FP) services into Health Insurance Schemes to scale-up access to FP and other reproductive health services.
AAFP is the umbrella of CSOs promoting reproductive healthcare services in Nigeria.
The group made the appeal during a media roundtable hosted by MamaYe Evidence for Action ahead of the Dec. 4 National FP Conference in Abuja.
The roundtable was also in preparation for the Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS).
Dr Mojisola Odeku, the Country Director, Nigeria Urban and Reproductive Health Initiative II (NURHI 2), said contraceptives and other FP services should be part of the minimum healthcare package by the health insurance providers.
She noted that full coverage of FP services will open opportunities for health insurance enrolees to access the services at private facilities at affordable rate.
Odeku said for Nigeria to increase its contraceptive prevalence rate health insurance providers must provide full FP services beyond counselling, coverage of ante natal services and deliveries.
Earlier, Dr Ejike Orji, the Chairman, Technical and Management Committee, AAFP, said the 5th NFPC would hold between Dec. 4 and 6.
He said there would be three pre-conferences on interfaith, youth and women, while the main conference would focus on investment, innovation and inclusiveness.
According to Orji, “we want to see more investment, and new ways of doing things towards scaling up FP uptake in Nigeria’’.
“National Population Commission says that Nigeria has about 198 million people; in 2006 Nigeria was about 140 million which we added 58 million people in 12 years.
“It is a fastest population growing trajectory in recent times, we are in serious trouble and demographic crises unless we watch it,’’ he said.
He said another issue the conference would discuss would be inclusiveness as an effort to ensure that no one was left behind in planning services.
He said the association was worried that not much investment was made at sub-national level, adding “we want to see more commitment at that area’’.
“The federal government has done a lot; it provided and released four million dollars in the 2017 budget into the national family planning basket.
“Even though it was not enough, it is a great departure from zero allocation,’’ he said.
Malam Muhammad Tola, Co-Chairman, Media and Publicity sub-Committee of the conference, appealed to stakeholders to empower journalists and media houses to enable them focus on FP issues and engage in investigative journalism. (NAN)
AM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola