Ogun, SFH Partner To Boost Family Planning, Primary Healthcare Delivery

 Ogun State Government, in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH), has initiated steps to build a more sustainable, coordinated health system by integrating family planning, as well as self-care interventions into the State’s official planning, financing and service delivery frameworks.

The process, which was finalised recently, during the 2026 Bi-annual Stakeholders Strategic Coordination Meeting, themed: ‘Strengthening Family Planning Integration, Government Ownership and Accountability within SWAp/MAMII at State and LGA Levels’,  organised by the State Ministry of Health, the Primary HealthCare Development Board, in collaboration with the Society for Family Health in Abeokuta, convened State and Local Government Area (LGA) decision-makers, traditional leaders and health-sector partners to review the findings of the Family Planning Transition Readiness Assessment and establish integration pathways, aimed at reducing preventable maternal mortality.

Speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oladeinde, emphasised that stronger government ownership and structured coordination were vital to ensuring family planning programmes remained accessible statewide.

Dr. Oladeinde, hinted on the necessity of institutionalising existing health programmes rather than creating parallel structures, while also stressing the critical role of robust data collection systems for evidence-based decision-making.

“There is no way we can take ownership effectively without proper coordination. There must be an office responsible for coordinating activities across all tiers of the health system—primary, secondary and tertiary. While our primary focus for family planning remains at the primary healthcare level, seamless integration and accurate data from all levels are essential for effective planning,’’ he said.

In his goodwill message, SFH Administrative Director, Mr. Peter Asuelimen, called on stakeholders to move from policy discussions to practical solutions, specifically addressing the shortage of human resources for health in rural and underserved communities.

Mr. Asuelimen, also suggested localised recruitment and retention strategies to encourage healthcare workers remain in their native communities, noting that health interventions achieve long-term resilience when State mechanisms were equipped to sustain programmes beyond donor funding timelines, reaffirming SFH's commitment to supporting Ogun State through affordable access to health commodities, technical expertise and cost-effective logistics.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Director of Health System Development, Dr. Esther Ogunsilu, commended development partners for their contributions to expanding access to quality healthcare in the State as she revealed that the strategic meeting featured a comprehensive review of State-wide interventions across the State’s 20 LGAs, evaluating key operational pillars including; financing, service delivery, commodity security and digital health.      

 She reiterated that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), relied on strong technical collaboration, assuring stakeholders that the State government would continue to provide an enabling environment for strategic partnerships, just as they mapped out priority action plans that would enhance data-driven oversight and community mobilisation across the State.

Participants shared experiences on community engagement, service readiness and data-driven oversight, while identifying priority actions for the State and health system areas. A project presentation highlighted interventions across the State’s 20 Local Government Areas, including provider training, community mobilisation, facility services, outreaches, supervision and data management.