Zainab Ali
Bauchi State has expanded its family planning service delivery points from 610 to 713 facilities to improve access to quality reproductive health services across the state.
Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Sani M. Dambam, made this known during the handing over of family planning commodities donated under the UNFPA/Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) grant on Sunday, December 7, in Bauchi.
Represented by the Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Rilwanu Mohammed, Dambam said the expansion would enable women to safely space births and reduce maternal health risks. He noted that the demand for family planning services remains high, and the newly supplied commodities would help address persistent stock-outs in health facilities.
He commended the UNFPA for its support in reducing maternal mortality and strengthening reproductive health services, particularly in hard-to-reach communities. The commissioner added that recent disruptions caused by the withdrawal of USAID support highlighted the need for the state to take greater leadership in ensuring sustainability.
UNFPA Country Representative, Ms. Muriel Mafico, represented by Programme Officer Debora Tabara, said the donation is part of a national procurement initiative funded by CIFF to strengthen reproductive health services. The commodities supplied included 138,072 doses of Sayana Press and 10,908 units of Implanon NXT.
Mafico recalled that CIFF previously donated family planning commodities to Bauchi in July 2025, recognizing the state government’s commitment to the National Guidelines for State-Funded Procurement of Family Planning Commodities. She added that UNFPA and CIFF recently signed an 18-month (2025–2026) agreement to procure additional quality-assured family planning commodities for seven priority states, including Bauchi.
According to Mafico, the initiative aims to reduce unmet needs, promote demographic transition, and encourage increased domestic financing of reproductive health services. She commended the state government for its commitment to achieving transformative goals, including ending unmet needs for family planning, preventing maternal deaths, and eliminating gender-based violence and harmful practices.
Also speaking, Managing Director of the Bauchi State Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency, Abdulkadir Ahmed, pledged to ensure the effective storage and delivery of the commodities to the designated facilities. He said UNFPA also supported the agency in conducting a needs assessment for the state’s 2026–2028 family planning commodities.