Muhammad Alabira Nabordo
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and Media Working Group in Jigawa State have urged government and communities to take the ownership of the campaigns on child spacing and reproductive healthcare.
This appeal was made during a a roundtable discussion held recently with the Media in Dutse, the state capital, as TCI prepares to transition after three years of intervention in the state.
The initiative focused on demand generation and enhancing family planning services across Jigawa State.
TCI’s Jigawa State Program Manager, Mr. Ankale Malachi Kongude, announced a 60-70% increase in demand for family planning services compared to previous records.
He attributed the success to the collaboration with the media, which helped dispel misconceptions about family planning and promoted awareness about reproductive healthcare services in the state.
However, Mr. Kongude noted that the growing demand has led to stock outs of family planning commodities in most facilities.
The Media Working Group, led by Comrade Muhammad Zangina Kura, pledged to continue collaborating with partners and the government to raise awareness about family planning and reproductive healthcare services in the state.
Government has been urged to increase budgetary allocations for family planning commodities to meet the growing demand in public health facilities across the 27 Local government areas.
Therefore, stakeholders unanimously emphasized that sustained efforts are crucial to reducing maternal and child mortality in Jigawa State.
The TCI is winding up it’s three year program in the state and government is expected to continue with the initiative.
