Health
Kwara adopts new system to improve contraceptive supply
By Toheeb Omotayo
The Kwara State Government has introduced an electronic warehouse management system to improve the monitoring and availability of family planning commodities across health facilities in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Amina El-Imam, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Press Secretary, Saad Hamdalat, during a stakeholders’ meeting organised to commemorate the 2026 World Contraception Day in Ilorin.
El-Imam reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality family planning information and services, saying the initiative was critical to improving maternal and child health across the state.
The commissioner stressed the need to ensure that family planning services were accessible and affordable, while protecting the dignity and privacy of those seeking them.
She said, “Family planning remains critical to promoting healthy birth spacing, reducing preventable maternal and infant complications, and enabling individuals and couples to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
“Achieving these objectives requires sustained commitment and collaboration among government, development partners, healthcare providers, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and communities.”
She urged traditional and religious leaders to support the dissemination of accurate health information and encourage constructive community engagement on family planning.
El-Imam also commended development partners and implementing organisations for their continued support for family planning services in the state, while acknowledging healthcare workers for their dedication to reproductive healthcare delivery.
The Family Planning Coordinator of the ministry, Bashirat Jatto, disclosed that the state had commenced training healthcare workers on the newly introduced hormonal intrauterine device to expand the range of contraceptive options available to residents.
Jatto said the electronic warehouse management system had improved stock visibility and access to consumption data, enabling health officials to make better inventory management decisions and respond promptly to supply needs.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Population Fund, Dr Homsuk Swomen said the organisation remained committed to supporting Kwara in addressing barriers to family planning, particularly among adolescents and young people.
Swomen explained that UNFPA was supporting participating states through its Match Funding initiative, under which government contributions towards family planning commodities were matched with an equivalent quantity of commodities by the organisation.
He commended the Kwara State Government for its commitment to family planning commodity security and urged it to sustain efforts to ensure that women, girls and young people could make informed and voluntary decisions about their reproductive health.
The stakeholders’ meeting, held under the theme, “A Choice for All,” brought together traditional rulers, medical practitioners, academics, religious leaders, implementing partners and civil society organisations to discuss ways of strengthening family planning services in the state.
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