In a significant initiative aimed at empowering women in Ondo State, over 12,852 women of reproductive age have been trained to manage their sexual and reproductive health through self-administered contraceptive methods. This effort is a result of a collaboration between the Ondo State Ministry of Health and the Society for Family Health (SFH), under the Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) project, which spanned 22 months.
At an event in Akure, the Social and Behavioural Change Coordinator for SFH, Mr. Titus Michael, highlighted the DISC project’s mission to transform family planning by enabling women to self-administer contraceptive injections. This five-year sexual and reproductive health program, implemented by Population Service International and SFH Nigeria, aims to enhance self-care practices in family planning.
“The DISC project aims to expand self-care practices across the country,” stated Michael. He noted that the project was operational in five local government areas (LGAs) in Ondo State: Ile-Oluji, Akure South, Owo, Ondo West, and Akure North. Launched in December 2022 and concluded in early 2024, the project reached approximately 44,672 women across all 18 LGAs, with 28,708 women referred for family planning services.
The initiative has also trained 45 healthcare facilities, 72 service providers, 18 monitoring and evaluation officers on family planning data reporting, and 20 community mobilizers.
Dr. Banji Ajaka, Ondo State’s Commissioner for Health, expressed the government’s commitment to continuing support for family planning services. Represented by Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ajaka acknowledged SFH’s contributions to improving the state’s health outcomes. He emphasized the government’s intention to integrate the DISC project’s recommendations into future budgets to ensure the availability of family planning commodities for women of childbearing age.
“The state government is dedicated to the success of this project and will ensure the availability of commodities,” said Ajaka. “We anticipate continued cooperation from our partners to support these efforts.”
Mrs. Opeyemi Agunbiade, Family Planning Coordinator at the Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (OSPHCDA), reported a significant increase in the adoption of self-injection for contraceptives. Over 60% of women choosing DMPA-SC as their contraceptive method now successfully self-inject, either under healthcare provider supervision or at home. The uptake of DMPA-SC rose by 60%, from 750 visits in July 2022 to 1,232 visits in January 2024, with self-injection rates jumping from 8% to over 60% by the fourth quarter of 2023.
