News Updates

News and Photo Stories Week 27

SFH IN THE NEWS

Oyo to spend N60m for procurement of family planning commodities 

Tribune, 26 June 2025

Oyo State government said it intends to allocate N60 million to the procurement of family planning commodities before the year end to fill any gaps that might be caused by the withdrawal of donor monies by foreign partners and organisations.

The Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji, disclosed while giving a welcome address at the Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC 2.0) biannual stakeholders’ review meeting with officials of the State Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Board.

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Bauchi government endorses self-injectable child spacing method

Radio Nigeria, 30 June 2025

The Bauchi State Government has expressed optimism that the self-injectable childbirth spacing method under the DISC 2.0 Project will help reduce side effects commonly associated with other modern contraceptive options. Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, gave the assurance during the biannual stakeholders’ meeting of the Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) 2.0 Project, implemented by the Society for Family Health (SFH), in Bauchi.

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SFH ACTIVITIES

SFH supports Kaduna State to flag-off the distribution of nets and promote Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention.

Residents of Tudun Wada community of Kaduna South Local Government Area (LGA), especially women and children, were excited as their community hosted the State flag-off of the 2025 integrated Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention and Insecticide Treated Nets campaign in Kaduna State on 30th June, 2025. The event, which held at Primary Health Care Kagoro, was graced by Her Excellency, the First Lady of Kaduna State, Haj. Hafsat Uba Sani, The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Haj. Aishat Abubakar Sadiq, the Honourable Chairman, Kaduna South LGA, Alh. Rayyan Hussein and his wife, Haj. Salma Abu Rayyan, the District Head of Tudun Wada, Alh. Tahir Mahmud Sarkin Ruwan Zazzau. Other notable attendees were development partners, including SFH, NMEP, CRS, Malaria Consortium, among others, State Ward Development Committee Chairman, religious leaders, traditional/community leaders, youth and women leaders, security and media personnel and Tudun Wada community members. Mr John Ocholi, who represented the Managing Director of Society for Family Health, symbolically handed the nets over to the State, signifying the over 4.5 million nets earmarked for distribution across all the LGAs in Kaduna State from 1st to 4th July, 2025.

 
The Permanent Secretary of Kaduna State Ministry of Health received the nets on behalf of the State and urged all potential recipients of the nets to use them correctly for the prevention of mosquito bites that spread malaria. During the flag-off event, the wife of Kaduna State Governor, Haj. Hafsat Uba Sani and the wife of Kaduna South LGA Chairman, Haj. Salma Abu Rayyan were decorated and awarded with certificates as the State Malaria Ambassador and the LGA Malaria Advocate, respectively. They carried out their first assignment of symbolic distribution of nets to some women, after which they further demonstrated the safety of net use and encouraged community acceptance of the nets by sleeping in the nets set up at the venue. The Chairman of Kaduna South showed spousal support for net use by sitting beside his wife in the net; this act thrilled members of the community, and it is expected that this will encourage them to redeem their nets and sleep inside them every night. The District Head of Tudun Wada, Alh. Tahir Mahmud Sarkin Ruwan Zazzau, who gave the vote of thanks, appreciated SFH and other partners for supporting the State to lead this malaria prevention campaign.
SFH Leads Digital Health Conversations at ADHS 2025

Society for Family Health (SFH) played a leading role at the 5th Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS 2025), held at Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos. A key highlight was the moderation of “The Lagos Hour” by Dr Jennifer Anyanti, Deputy Managing Director, Strategy, Technical & Growth, SFH. The session featured senior officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Health including Prof Akin Abayomi and Dr Olusegun Ogboye and explored the theme “Smart Health for a Smart City”, spotlighting Lagos State’s digital transformation in access, delivery, and equity in healthcare. Pharm. Dennis Aizobu, Managing Director of SFH Access, led conversations as a panel moderator on “The Digital Shift: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Access and Delivery through E-Pharmacy” and served as a judge at the Innovators Challenge, where disruptive digital health ideas were pitched by emerging African innovators.

SFH Access also hosted a booth where participants received free, live telemedicine consultations via the AccessCare app showcasing SFH’s commitment to expanding digital access to affordable and quality care. The Summit, themed “Strengthening Health Systems through Digital Innovation, Data, and AI”, convened policymakers, innovators, and health leaders across Africa. Dr. Uchenna Okafor, Chief of Party for the ePharma4FP Project, delivered a thought-provoking session on digital pharmacies and inclusive care. SFH also had representatives across other projects like the DISC who also participated significantly. ADHS serves as a platform for collaboration, dialogue, and showcasing scalable digital health solutions across the continent, and SFH strong presence reaffirmed its leadership in driving transformative, tech-enabled public health solutions in Nigeria and beyond.
ADHS2025 (3)

Highlights from SFH intervention in Mokwa, Niger State

As part of our ongoing WASH in Emergency response, SFH team visited some of the flood-affected areas in Mokwa, Niger State. It was heartbreaking to see the extent of the damage; homes were swept away, with families having to rebuild their lives from scratch. The scenes were a reminder of how devastating flooding can be, especially for vulnerable communities. Many of them were sheltered in makeshift camps set up in primary schools. Despite the hardship, there is hope. Government agencies, alongside partners such as UNICEF, WHO, UN Women, SFH and other non-governmental organisations, were present on-site and providing much-needed support to displaced families.

At the IDP camps, we engaged with the officials to better understand the needs of the residents and coordinate support efforts. We conducted a live demonstration on the use of P&G water purifiers to help residents treat and store water safely. The WASH team took the community through each step of the process (from mixing and settling to filtration) while also emphasising good hygiene practices. The session was interactive and well-received, with many expressing gratitude for the practical tips shared. This hands-on approach is helping to build local capacity and prevent the spread of waterborne diseases in flood-affected communities.
SFH Trains Ogun State M&E Officers on Data Storytelling and Health Service Performance Tracking
As a follow-up to the recently concluded Ogun State Bi-annual Performance Review Meeting, Society for Family Health (SFH), through the DISC 2.0 project, has strengthened the capacity of state and LGA M&E officers on health data storytelling and performance tracking. The training, led by Fidelis Edet, SFH/DISC Business & Strategic Information Manager, equipped participants with practical skills in data visualisation, reporting quality, and interpreting routine health data from the National HMIS.
This initiative follows the June 17th performance review meeting, where stakeholders analysed Ogun State’s Family Planning (FP) scorecard, reflecting service uptake, quality, demand generation, and commodity security. The session provided stakeholders a platform to share challenges, showcase best practices, and appreciate how data is driving visibility and improved health outcomes at the community level. SFH remains committed to strengthening data-driven decision-making for improved health service delivery in Ogun State and beyond.

North Central IntegratE Project holds Mid-Year Pause and Reflect Meeting

The North Central IntegratE Project recently held its Mid-Year Pause and Reflect meeting to review programme activities for Year 4 (Q1 and Q2), discuss challenges and emerging issues, share best practices and lessons learned, develop the Q4 Year 4 work plan, and strengthen staff capacity across various focus areas. The session opened with welcome remarks from the Deputy Chief of Party, Mr. Michael Alagbile, who emphasised the importance of reflection, collaboration, and adaptive learning in driving program success. This was followed by staff introductions from across the North Central region.

Pharm. Michael provided an update on the project’s overall progress, including key advocacy efforts and deliverables between October 2024 and May 2025. State Technical Advisors Emmanuel Odiniya (Nasarawa) and Samuel Abel (Niger) shared updates on achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and service delivery improvements within their respective states. Their presentations highlighted key strategies such as training, supportive supervision, data quality assurance, and the deployment of interpersonal communication agents. The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Leah Gana, presented the region’s progress and milestones in M&E for the same period. The PACS team, represented by Sebastine Ikejide and Judith Dogo, presented key achievements and progress recorded by the project in Lagos and Kaduna States.
 
Capacity-building sessions were also central to the meeting. Pharm. Michael trained staff on developing policy briefs, focusing on their importance in influencing decision-makers and differentiating them from other advocacy tools. Delafrida Ukaga led a session on human-interest storytelling, equipping staff with skills to capture and communicate compelling field stories that amplify project impact. Toyin Akomolafe, Senior Advisor for M&E, facilitated a training on data use for decision-making and research, with emphasis on dashboards, data quality assurance tools, and learning loops. Dayyabu YusufAssistant Chief for Policy Advocacy and Governmental Engagement, delivered a session on stakeholder engagement and advocacy for sustainability, highlighting the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp). Ibukun Mary Otubusin from the People Operations team, led a refresher on organisational policies, safeguarding, and the workplace code of conduct, while Honfoga Julius provided updates on finance and audit matters. A breakout session enabled state teams to collaboratively draft and present their work plans, identify state-specific challenges, and propose context-specific solutions, with input from the larger group for alignment and refinement. The session concluded with closing remarks from the Deputy Managing Director for Program Delivery, Mr. Kene Eruchalu, who commended the North Central region for its contributions in enhancing access to essential healthcare services through private sector providers.

Tips for Safe Water in Flood Situation

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency have predicted severe flooding in several states during the rainy season. With this increased risk comes a heightened threat of water contamination and disease outbreaks. 

Knowing how to keep your water safe before, during, and after a flood is important. This guide provides practical tips to help you stay prepared, protect your health, and maintain access to clean and safe water during flood emergencies. 

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