By Raphael Ede
No fewer than 29,262 women in Enugu State accessed family planning services through trained Community Pharmacists and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors between 2021 and July 2026 under the IntegratE Project, the Society for Family Health has said.
The organisation disclosed this on Wednesday at the dissemination meeting of the project in Enugu, where stakeholders called for the institutionalisation of the initiative to sustain gains recorded in expanding access to reproductive healthcare.
Presenting the project’s implementation report, the Group Executive Director of the Society for Family Health, Mr. Emeka Okafor, said the Gates Foundation-funded intervention was implemented in 16 of the state’s 17 local government areas, engaging 55 Community Pharmacists and 253 Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors.
He said the project also recorded 14,541 referrals to public health facilities, surpassed its training targets by achieving between 102 and 103 per cent, and introduced digital supportive supervision through KoboCollect.
Okafor said the project demonstrated that trained Community Pharmacists and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors could safely expand access to family planning services.
“The model works. The question now is whether government and partners will sustain it beyond the project’s lifetime,” he said.
He urged the Enugu State Government, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to institutionalise the supervisory structures established under the project and provide resources to sustain the gains achieved.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, represented by the Council’s Zonal Director, Mrs Ifeyinwa Ohiaeri, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening pharmacy practice and improving access to reproductive healthcare.
Ohiaeri said pharmacists and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors remained among the most accessible healthcare providers in the country and could play a greater role in expanding access to quality family planning services.
“Family planning remains a critical component of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. Integrating family planning services into community pharmacy practice represents a strategic approach to expanding access and improving service delivery,” she said.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, described the initiative as an innovative intervention that complements the state’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
He stressed the need for adequate counselling for clients seeking contraceptive services, noting that healthcare providers should properly explain possible side effects and provide opportunities for follow-up consultations.
“There is actually no medication that hasn’t got a side effect, even water. We must provide mechanisms so that people can discuss any concerns with healthcare practitioners and receive the right guidance,” Ugwu said.
The commissioner said the state government would continue collaborating with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and other stakeholders to strengthen healthcare regulation and improve service delivery.
He also proposed expanding the role of trained community pharmacists to include immunisation services, subject to appropriate training and regulatory approval.
“Why can’t people go to community pharmacies and even get immunisation? We can consider expanding this innovation. The important thing is that there must be checks and balances, and those given such responsibilities must be adequately trained and regulated,” he added.
Ugwu said Governor Peter Mbah’s administration had prioritised primary healthcare, adding that more than 100 standard primary healthcare centres would become operational across the state before the end of the year as part of efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
Ends
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