The Lagos State Government, through Health District III, has reaffirmed its commitment to improving family planning uptake and expanding access to quality reproductive health services, particularly for residents of riverine and other hard-to-reach communities.
The Permanent Secretary of Health District III, Dr. Monsurat Adeleke, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by a team from The Challenge Initiative (TCI), which is implementing a three-year family planning project funded by the Gates Foundation.
Speaking at her office in Ikoyi, Adeleke commended the initiative, describing it as consistent with the Lagos State Government’s commitment to adopting global best practices in family planning and reproductive healthcare.
She said the District regularly conducts family planning outreaches to bring essential services closer to residents, especially those in communities where geographical barriers and poor health-seeking behaviour may limit access to healthcare facilities.
According to Adeleke, the outreaches provide residents with appropriate information, counselling and access to family planning services without requiring them to travel long distances. She noted that the District places particular emphasis on reaching underserved riverine and hard-to-reach communities.
The Permanent Secretary expressed optimism that the partnership would strengthen family planning programmes and improve access to reproductive health services across Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe. She assured the TCI team of the District’s full support, stressing that sustained advocacy, community engagement and accessible healthcare services are essential to improving family health outcomes.
Earlier, the Country Director of The Challenge Initiative, Dr. Taiwo Johnson, said the three-year grant project was designed to increase family planning uptake by taking services directly to communities.
He explained that the initiative would provide family planning commodities, including oral contraceptive pills and injectables, during community outreaches, while also ensuring that the commodities remain available at health facilities to guarantee continued access after the outreach programmes.
Johnson added that the project would strengthen the capacity of Community Health Officers through specialised training in family planning counselling, health education and effective engagement with community members on the available family planning options.
He said the training would improve community-level service delivery while creating opportunities for skilled health personnel to support the programme and sustain efforts to expand access to family planning services.
LAGOS HEALTH DISTRICT III, GATES FOUNDATION INTENSIFY FAMILY PLANNING ADVOCACY
The Lagos State Government, through Health District III, has reaffirmed its commitment to improving family planning uptake and ensuring that residents, particularly those in hard-to-reach communities,… pic.twitter.com/qVxXhcnUcY
— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) August 20, 2026
