SFH Nigeria Website 
News and Photo Stories -Week 41
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SFH IN THE NEWS
Punch, 9 October 2024
NGO promotes DMPA-SC contraceptives in Enugu
A non-governmental research organisation, Akena Plus Health, has dispelled the misconception that the Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate-Sub Cutaneous, an all-in-one contraceptive that puts women in charge of their reproductive health, and other family planning methods cause infertility.
It called on Nigerian women and girls to adopt different contraception methods, especially the DMPA-SC method, to reduce mortality, and ensure convenient child spacing and unwanted pregnancies.
Akena Plus Health Trust stated this during an end-of-project dissemination event for the research programme Innovation for Choice and Autonomy, held in Enugu on Saturday, where stakeholders in the health sector were present.
They partnered with key DMPA-SC implementing partners: The Association for Reproductive and Family Health through the RaSuDiN project in the public sector and the Society for Family Health through the IntegratE project in the private sector.
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SFH ACTIVITIES
High-Level Healthcare Policy Dialogue Explores Private Sector Support for Universal Health Coverage
The Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) successfully hosted a High-Level Healthcare Policy Dialogue on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, with the theme: “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare.” The event brought together leading experts, decision-makers, and stakeholders in Nigeria’s healthcare system to explore collaborative solutions aimed at advancing the country towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Held in Abuja, the dialogue provided a platform for in-depth discussions on the pivotal role of the private sector in driving healthcare reforms, particularly through the Sector Wide Approach (SWAP). This strategy seeks to coordinate all resources, policies, and efforts in the healthcare sector to achieve optimal outcomes, emphasising synergy between the public and private sectors.
Dr. Jennifer Anyanti, Deputy Managing Director of Society for Family Health (SFH), was one of the key panelist at the event. She highlighted the importance of aligning health policies with private sector capabilities under the SWAP framework. In her remarks, Dr. Anyanti stated: “We’ve had a very interesting discussion with the Coordinating Minister of Health on SWAP. The key question is, how can we align policies with the possibilities for the private sector in this new era of a sector-wide approach?”
Her statement reflected the growing recognition of the private sector’s role in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensuring access to quality services for all citizens. Other panelist emphasised the need for clear policy alignment and increased investment from both public and private stakeholders to close the gaps in healthcare delivery and financing.
The event also featured a series of panel discussions that addressed critical issues, including healthcare financing, public-private partnerships, and innovative approaches to expanding coverage to underserved populations. As Nigeria continues its journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, dialogues like this serve as an important step in creating the necessary framework for sustainable, inclusive healthcare reforms.
SFH Gains Insights on HIV Vaccines and Long-Acting PrEP Choices as prevention and biomedical interventions at the HIVR4P Conference in Lima Peru.
Society for Family Health (SFH) is currently participating in the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) Conference, taking place in Lima, Peru, from the 6th to the 10th of October 2024. This event has gathered international stakeholders, researchers, scientists and implementers to discuss the latest developments in HIV Vaccines and Long-Acting Injectable PrEP choices as prevention & Biomedical interventions. Dr Charles ODIMA, the Project Director for the Global Fund N-THRIP GC7 project representing SFH, leads engagement with international stakeholders on HIV Vaccines and Long-Acting Injectable PrEP from different countries alongside his counterpart from Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Mr Benjamin Joshua Pillatar, SI Lead, GF N-THRIP Project and Ms Hasiya Bello Raji, SPO CQI, during the conference satellite symposia and plenary discussion sessions.
The primary objective of SFH’s participation is to gather key insights on how to enhance HIV prevention interventions across Nigeria, with a particular focus on understanding global advancements and research on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other preventive tools.
The first day of the HIVR4P conference in Lima features key sessions on the innovative implementation of HIV prevention technologies and research, including PrEP choices, vaccines, and long-acting injectable antiretrovirals. These sessions underscore the importance of offering diverse PrEP options to increase uptake and accessibility in HIV prevention. South Africa’s experience with multiple PrEP choices (oral PrEP, PrEP Ring, CAB-LA) revealed a strong preference for out-of-facility delivery and extended follow-up intervals, enhancing user experience. Additionally, discussions on the relevance of HIV vaccines in the era of long-acting antiretrovirals emphasised the ongoing global efforts to develop an effective vaccine and the potential of Cabotegravir Long-Acting (CAB-LA) to significantly reduce HIV infections, especially in high-prevalence areas.
Other thought-provoking conversations featured includes: “Insights from India and Sub-Saharan Africa on the Continued Relevance of HIV Vaccines in the Age of Long-Acting Antiretrovirals.” Also “PathToScale for Injectable PrEP in Malawi showcasing formative insights from providers and clients and managing demand for new products”. These sessions were particularly relevant to SFH’s work, as they offer insights into expanding prevention tools in Nigeria. Additionally, discussions on leveraging technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning for HIV prevention will provide valuable knowledge to drive SFH’s digital health efforts. These engagements remain crucial for empowering communities, enhancing prevention strategies, and ensuring Nigeria remains steadfast at the global fight against HIV.
SFH attends Kano State Health Sector 2025 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) Harmonisation Workshop
In line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has mandated State Health Ministries and MDAs to prepare their Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) in alignment with the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint (HSSB) 2023-2027 and Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) initiative. The sector-wide medium-term strategic plan which aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan and Global Health Agenda is aimed at bringing health stakeholders under One Plan, One Budget, One Report and One Conversation to build a more cohesive, effective and sustainable health sector.
SFH as a leader in the reproductive and family health space across the 36 States and FCT in Nigeria has placed emphasis on this activity with its projects actively supporting the exercise across the country. SFH Director of Health Systems Strengthening and Northwest Regional Programme lead, Dayyabu Yusuf and SFH Head of Clinical Services, Dr Eze Nwokoma led Project Teams in the exercise at the Kano State AOP, ensuring SFH interventions are properly integrated into the State Blueprint in a bid to drive sustainability and scale-up of its innovative programs. SFH COF, SHINE, IntegratE, KPCARE 2, A360, and ICHSSA projects participated in the activity to ensure that priority areas, specifically Family Planning, HIV, OVC, and Human Resources for Health, are integrated into the mapping process.
SFH through its interventions will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping an enabling policy environment, ensuring that the girls, women, men and boys across Nigeria for whom we exist have access to quality healthcare services.
SFH Showcases HIV Self-Testing Innovation at HIV Continuum of Care Summit
Society for Family Health (SFH) Nigeria has made significant strides in improving HIV case finding across the country through the use of HIV self-testing (HIVST) screening and referral of positives for confirmatory testing. By promoting self-testing for early detection and ensuring prompt referral of positive cases for confirmatory testing, SFH has contributed to advancing Nigeria’s HIV prevention efforts. Having piloted HIVST in the private sector and successfully scaling it within the public sector, SFH continues to enhance accessibility and reach in HIV care.
At the HIV Continuum of Care Summit, organised by Abbott and held at Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, SFH presented its innovative approach to HIV self-testing. The summit, themed “United to End HIV by 2030,” brought together key stakeholders from the health sector. Representing SFH at the event were Dr. Jennifer Anyanti, Deputy Managing Director (Strategy, Technical, and Growth), and Dr Joseph Ashivor, Technical Director of the GF N-THRIP project.
Delivering the goodwill message on behalf of SFH, Dr Anyanti highlighted the organisation’s unwavering commitment to HIV prevention and treatment. Dr Ashivor presented SFH’s approach to HIVST, sharing insights and lessons learned from the implementation of the programme, particularly in Gombe State. This presentation underscored SFH’s role in driving innovative solutions to increase HIV case finding in both the public and private sectors.
IntegratE Team Holds Review Meeting For Trained Providers In Bauchi State
The Bauchi State IntegratE team led by the Regional Programme Manager, North-East – Mr Johnson Ekele, recently held a review meeting for Community Pharmacists and Patent & Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) in Bauchi LGA, following the completion of their Mandatory Entry Point Training Program (MEPTP) by the providers. The meeting aimed to address gaps identified in providing quality family planning services, primary healthcare services, monitoring & evaluation, and documentation. It also sought to tackle other operational challenges faced by the providers.
Key stakeholders in attendance were – Director Pharmaceutical Services (DPS) Pharm Umar Gunau, Pharm Magaji Mohammed (PCN State Officer), the HMIS officer for Bauchi State Ministry of Health and functionaries from the Bauchi State Ministry of Health, PCN & NAPPMED. Also present were the Regional Finance Manager for North-East and the entire IntegratE team.
The sessions covered refresher training and brainstorming discussions, focusing on improving participants’ ability to deliver quality healthcare family planning and primary healthcare services focused on integrated community case management to their communities. The meeting concluded positively, with participants gaining renewed confidence in using various documentation tools and guidelines and improving their data reporting practices. The IntegratE project remains committed to ensuring that healthcare providers receive the necessary training and support to enhance their capacity to deliver essential healthcare services effectively.
SFH attends Nigeria Health Watch Policy Dialogue
Last week, the Nigeria Health Watch invited Society for Family Health to a policy dialogue which aimed to share evidence on the current gaps in PHC service delivery and discuss strategies to strengthen PHC accountability and improve maternal and child health outcomes across Kano State. Nigeria Health Watch is a health communications and advocacy organisation that advocates for Nigerians’ access to quality healthcare. Through policy dialogue, they engage policymakers and critical stakeholders within the health sector to promote evidence-informed policymaking.
The policy dialogue focused on advancing the efforts of the state government in quality health care provision with the theme “Strengthening PHC Accountability for Improved Maternal and Child Health: Bridging Gaps in Primary Health Care (PHC) Service Delivery” The meeting had in attendance high-level stakeholders, policymakers and critical health decision propellers.
Among the key stakeholders in attendance were Kano State’s Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf; Director General of SPHCMB, Dr Muhammad Nasir Mahmoud; and Executive Secretary of Kano State Contributory Health Care Management Agency, Dr Rahila Aliyu Mukhtar. Others included the Permanent Secretary of Kano State, members of the State Executive Council, the Director of Public Health and Disease Control, the Director of Family Health at SPHCMB, DPRS, HR from SPHCMB, as well as religious leaders and other distinguished participants.
SFH Host Delegates from the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning
Society for Family Health (SFH) recently welcomed delegates from the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP) to its Lagos and Kano offices as part of the procedure for renewing SFH Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) registration with the Ministry. The purpose of the visit was to assess SFH ongoing projects in both states and ensure alignment with the standards outlined in the MoU between SFH and the Government of Nigeria. SFH Regional Programme Managers—Jennifer Ladokun (IntegratE, Lagos) and Dayyabu Yusuf (IntegratE, Northwest)—received the delegates and guided them on a comprehensive tour of the premises.
In Lagos, the visit began with a conference room presentation where project leads provided an overview of the four current projects implemented by SFH in Lagos state: IntegratE, ePharm4FP, PACS, and the Malaria Impact Project. Following the presentations, the delegates observed a community outreach led by the ePharm4FP team in partnership with HealthPlus. The delegates attended the quarterly provider refresher and data review meeting organised by the IntegratE project. They commended the team’s efforts and encouraged closer collaboration with the National Population Commission to further showcase the impact of the IntegratE project.
In Kano, the team engaged with the Director of Pharmaceutical Services at the Kano State Ministry of Health to discuss SFH collaboration with the state government. The visit concluded with a tour of two IntegratE-trained Private Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs)—a tier-1 and a tier-2 provider—where delegates observed field implementation activities. They witnessed a tier-1 provider offering family planning counseling and referring a client for method uptake using the CHMIS referral booklet.
The delegates expressed their appreciation for the positive impact of SFH initiatives and encouraged the team to continue their valuable work in advancing the health and well-being of women and children in the community.
SFH Leverages Gaani Cultural Festival to Intensify HIV Case Finding in Hard-to-Reach Communities of Kwara North.
In a strategic effort to intensify HIV case finding, particularly in remote areas of Kwara State, Society for Family Health (SFH) Global Fund N-THRIP project team in Kwara North Cluster team, leveraged the annual Gaani Cultural Festival to provide crucial HIV testing and prevention services. The festival, held from 27th to 29th September 2024 in the Okuta and Yashikira communities of Baruten Local Government Area (LGA), Kwara State.
The Gaani festival is celebrated annually across Baruba land—which spans Baruten LGA of Kwara State and some parts of Republic of Benin. The festival attracts a large gathering of community members with unique cultural diversities, and it features traditional events like the Emir’s durbar, Kona Zaune (praise songs to ancestors), cultural exhibitions, horse racing, and other festivities.
During the 2024 Gaani Festival, SFH’s Kwara North Cluster team, in collaboration with the Baruten LACA, provided HIV awareness, sensitisation, and testing services. Leveraging on this festival amidst other strategies, the North Cluster team were able to identify 44 HIV positive individuals and all of them linked to treatment in health facilities by our Baruten Community ART team (cART) for the month of September 2024 across the Baruten surge operational cluster.
The LACA Manager, Mr. Ahmed Suleiman Yoniki, praised SFH for their innovative approach and the quality of services provided, noting that this was the first time such extensive HIV services had been offered during the Gaani festival by any implementing partner. He also encouraged continued collaboration between SFH and LACA in the drive towards attaining HIV epidemic control in the Baruten cluster zone. In response, SFH’s North Cluster Lead, Mr. Bukola Isaac Omojuyigbe, expressed gratitude to the LACA team and other key stakeholders during the event especially the government of Kwara State for their goodwill and safe working environment.
On behalf of the Project Director GF N-THRIP, Dr Charles ODIMA, and the State Team Lead, Dr Owen Omede, Mr. Omojuyigbe reaffirmed SFH’s commitment to driving HIV prevention, care and treatment efforts in reaching the last mile in Baruten and other hard-to-reach communities leaving no one behind in the journey towards attaining HIV epidemic control.
IntegratE Project supports Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria to commemorate World Pharmacists’ Day
World Pharmacists’ Day is observed to honour the vital role pharmacists play in the medical field. The unique day was set aside to celebrate the robust impact pharmacists have made and their immense commitment to patient care, guaranteeing the efficient and safe administration of medicines and other pharmaceuticals, in line with this year’s theme: “Pharmacists: Meeting Global Health Needs”.
The Kaduna state IntegratE team supported the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to commemorate World Pharmacists’ Day with three provider-led outreaches conducted in various pharmaceutical facilities across three LGAs of Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Sabon Gari, respectively. Comprehensive primary healthcare services (with a focus on integrated community case management – ICCM) were provided to under-five children, including diagnosis and treatment of malaria, diarrhoea treatment, pneumonia treatment, nutrition counselling, family planning and referral services for clients.
Prior to the event, intense mobilisation targeted at all community structures in the selected locations was conducted. Advocacy visits were made to key stakeholders in the communities including district heads, religious leaders, local civil society organisations, women groups, as well as household mobilisation. Some of the district heads attended the event personally and addressed the beneficiaries before the commencement of the activity. They appreciated the efforts of SFH and IntegratE project for conducting activities with a positive impact on the communities and reaching out to the less privileged, especially in these trying times. They appreciated the key health promotion messages and the referral processes of the interpersonal communication agents (IPCAs) working in their communities.
During the event, over 500 children received ICCM services including malaria testing with RDT for over 290 children who presented with fever, and ACT tablets were administered to not less than 169 children who tested positive for malaria parasite, nutritional assessments using MUAC measurements were carried for not less than 179 children while over 170 children received ORS & Zinc tablets for diarrhoea treatment, 19 children received Amoxicillin dispersible tablets for pneumonia treatment and nutritional counselling plus micro nutrient powders were dispensed to caregivers of 3 moderately malnourished children. The active participation of ACPN members in the outreach was instrumental to the successful flow of activities during the event and we remain committed to collaborating with various cadres of healthcare professionals to provide quality FP and PHC services across the nation
HIV Sensitisation for Adolescent Girls at Ilorin Grammar School: Empowering Future Generations
On October 10th, 2024, the Kwara IPAYP team of the GF N-THRIP Project embarked on a vital HIV sensitisation initiative at Ilorin Grammar School, targeting adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) as part of their ongoing school outreach. The session, designed to deliver critical HIV prevention messages, also aimed to provide HIV testing services and a comprehensive package of preventive care. Ninety-five students received information on HIV and STI prevention, menstrual hygiene, and life skills training through the empowering “No Means No” approach. To further support their health, each participant was provided with sanitary pads as an incentive.
During the engagement, the team also discussed with the school management the establishment of an HIV club. This initiative, supported by the Society for Family Health (SFH), would build the capacity of 25 club members to serve as peer educators, delivering HIV prevention messages to the broader student population during school assemblies and special events. This peer-led approach is intended to foster a culture of awareness and prevention within the school community.
Kwara State, which has made significant strides in reducing HIV prevalence over the past two decades, remains a key region for youth-focused health interventions. With adolescent girls and young women particularly vulnerable to HIV, targeted programmes like this school sensitisation are essential to bridging the disparity and moving the state closer to achieving epidemic control.
SFH Joins Northern Nigeria Family Planning Workshop to Enhance Data-Driven Decision Making with Pathways Dashboard
Society for Family Health recently participated in the Pathways Northern Nigeria Family Planning (FP) Project Dissemination Workshop, which aimed to share insights from the Pathways Dashboard for Decision Making. This tool highlights the variations in intent-to-action journeys among different population segments and offers guidance on tailored messaging, delivery channels, and service considerations. The goal was to equip FP stakeholders in Northern Nigeria with the necessary knowledge to apply the Pathways Dashboard in their own initiatives, enabling them to design targeted strategies and solutions. Key stakeholders in attendance included representatives from Sonders Group, Rodio Dallo from the Gates Foundation, State-level stakeholders, Roselyn Odeh of A360 Nigeria, and Delafrida Ukaga from the IntegratE project, along with other implementing partners.
Participants were presented with segment-differentiated data and encouraged to create scenarios illustrating how this information could be applied in their respective community work. They engaged in group activities to practice integrating the dashboard into their strategies.
The workshop concluded on a positive note, with participants departing with enhanced knowledge and renewed enthusiasm for applying the insights gained to improve family planning services in their communities.
Scaling up PPMVs Service Delivery: Sani’s Success Story through SFH PACS Project Intervention
For Sani, a Tier 2 PPMV in Zaria LGA, Kaduna state, the PACS Project has been transformative, opening new avenues for business growth, delivery of care, and community impact. Before the PACS intervention, Sani faced numerous challenges running his business such as frequent stock-outs of medicines which necessitated his reliance on the open drug market and exposed him to the risk of purchasing substandard health commodities. The lack of access to financing limited his capacity to expand his stock, affecting his ability to serve more communities and grow his business.
Click here to read how the PACS Project is transforming and empowering lives.
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