Cross River Strengthens Drive for Sustainable Reproductive Health
By Ebi COLLINS
The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing reproductive health and ensuring equitable access to family planning services across the state. The commitment was made recently during a Family Planning Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting held recently in Calabar.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Jonah Offor, commended the leadership and members of the TWG for their unwavering dedication to promoting reproductive health. He praised the synergy among stakeholders and implementing partners, describing their collaboration as vital to sustaining the progress achieved in family planning interventions across the state.
Dr. Offor also lauded the Program Manager for Family Planning for effective coordination and highlighted the successes recorded during the advocacy visit to the Wife of the Governor and the celebration of World Contraception Day, both of which he described as milestones in the state’s ongoing efforts to improve reproductive health outcomes.
In his remarks, the TWG Chairman, Dr. Bassey Ibor, applauded members for their steadfastness and cooperation throughout the year. He assured that the TWG would continue to provide an enabling environment that supports family planning advocacy, awareness creation, and efficient service delivery across all local government areas.
The meeting featured deliberations on key issues such as advocacy visits to traditional institutions and updates on sustainable family planning financing activities, including contraceptive procurement, SMART advocacy, and the Family Planning Financing Tracker Tool.
Delivering a goodwill message, Mr. Emmanuel Emesowum, UNFPA’s Family Planning Supply Chain Focal Point, stressed the urgency of addressing the state’s high unmet family planning needs. He cited inadequate facilities for married couples, poor awareness, and persistent misconceptions as major barriers to effective service delivery.
Mrs. Aja Emem, a TWG member, called for the recruitment of younger health workers to improve accessibility and responsiveness to young women seeking reproductive health services.
Responding, Mrs. Katame, the Family Planning Coordinator (FPC), explained that the state government had already deployed young nurses across local government areas and commenced training to enhance service delivery. She also proposed setting a specific dates for advocacy visits to the traditional leaders, a suggestion that received the nod of His Highness, Ndabor Dick, a key stakeholder who pledged continued traditional support for family planning initiatives.
At the end of deliberations, members resolved to update family planning data trackers, develop an annual sustainability plan for 2026, and undertake an advocacy visit to the Deputy Governor as part of efforts to consolidate gains in reproductive health.
The meeting concluded on a cordial note, with participants reaffirming their shared commitment to strengthening family planning systems and accelerating reproductive health progress across Cross River State.
