Background: Rivers State is one of the states in the Niger Delta region with a population of over eight (8) million people.
Over 22% of these populations are women of reproductive age requiring family planning services. Our journey to step up the uptake of family planning services in the state began with the inauguration of the Rivers State family planning advocacy working group (RSFPAWG) in 2016.
No sooner that the group was inaugurated than it went moribund, not having capacity to carry out the work. Challenge Initiative (TCI) came to partner with the Rivers State Government, and discovered RSFPAWG and its constituents
TCI built the capacity, and challenged all the constituents of the FPAWG to become self-sustainable. TCI, graduated out of Rivers State May 6, 2022 and all the constituents of FPAWG were at various stages of their sustainability plan.
Methods: The religious leaders' subcommittee of FPAWG, which at the climax of their sustainability plan have registered with CAC as interfaith initiative for sustainable Health; have been integrating Advocacy on family planning into faith base sector programs through the following methods.
- Decoration of family planning champions.
- Integration of Family Planning advocacy into community prayer & fasting programs
- Integration of Family Planning advocacy into large denominational conferences
RESULTS:
- There is widespread acceptance of Family Planning advocacy messages by prominent Religious leader we decorated as Family Planning champions.
- Community leaders & Church members widely embrace Family Planning advocacy messages and disseminated same to their peers
- Improved level of awareness and uptake of Family Planning services in the state
Conclusion & Recommendation: There is need to train more religious leaders of both the Christian and Islamic faith in all L.G.As in the State using the TCI training and capacity building modules to reduce the gap in uptake of Family planning services in the State.
