The Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative has charged the Lagos State Government to intervene in family planning funding across Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across the state.
Speaking at the group’s first quarterly meeting, the newly appointed Executive Director of PSHAI, Mr Abiodun Ajayi explained that findings have shown that there are no FP commodities in Badagry, no technical support in Mushin, while some PHCs in Somolu that are under reconstruction have stopped working.
Ajayi noted that there is a need to increase Family Planning funding to ensure improved access for residents of the state.
Ajayi noted that through PHSAI’s intervention, the FP budget was increased by 100% in the 2018 budget line of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and the group is keen on sustaining such impacts.
He thereafter appealed for the procurement of Family Planning consumables, which was identified as a major barrier for the most vulnerable women to access FP services be addressed.
The 2024 first-quarter meeting of PSHAI, which was supported by The Challenge Initiative, also featured the appointment of core team members to grow the organization.
Until Ajayi’s appointment as the Executive Director, he has served as Program Officer and has represented the organisation at high-profile meetings and engagements. He was part of the team that developed the 2019 Budget Scorecard on Family Planning/Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health funded by PAI.
In response to his appointment, Ajayi said “I feel elated to be bestowed with this huge task and I desire to scale up our advocacy approach that will help advance public health space and increase the budget for women’s health.”