The Enugu State Government has pledged to sustain the gains of the five-year IntegratE Project, a private sector-driven family planning initiative that expanded access to reproductive health services through Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).
The commitment was reaffirmed on Wednesday during the dissemination of the Enugu State Private Sector Family Planning Performance under the IntegratE Project, which was implemented between October 2021 and July 2026.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, described the project as a major intervention that transformed access to family planning and reproductive healthcare services for thousands of women across the state.
He said the state government would build on the project’s achievements by expanding access to quality family planning services while promoting responsible and informed healthcare choices.
Ugwu also reaffirmed Governor Peter Mbah’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery, disclosing that more than 100 new Primary Healthcare Centres would become operational before the end of the year.
He added that the administration’s investment in innovation would continue to position Enugu as a leading state in modern healthcare delivery.
The representative of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ifeyinwa Ohiaeri, described the initiative as a landmark intervention that strengthened family planning services through community pharmacy practice.
She noted that the dissemination meeting provided stakeholders with an opportunity to assess the project’s achievements, identify lessons learned and chart a path for sustaining its impact.
Ohiaeri reaffirmed the council’s commitment to promoting professional ethics and quality healthcare delivery.
Also speaking, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) said the project had significantly boosted family planning awareness at the grassroots, while the PSN Foundation expressed confidence that the progress recorded would outlive the programme.
Similarly, the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) pledged continued support for the initiative and called for sustained implementation of the model across the state.
Representing the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs. Maureen Nwankwo said the programme had improved access to family planning services, helping to reduce unintended pregnancies as well as maternal and child mortality.
She assured stakeholders that the agency would continue to consolidate on the achievements recorded under the project.
The Group Director of Donor-Funded Programmes at the Society for Family Health, Pharm. Emeka Okafor, said the IntegratE Project successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of a pharmacy-led family planning delivery model in Enugu State.
He observed that although nearly 70 per cent of residents access healthcare through private providers, routine health data is largely generated from public health facilities, creating a significant information gap that the project helped address.
According to the project’s implementation report, no fewer than 29,262 women accessed family planning services through trained Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors in Enugu State, while 14,541 referrals were made to public health facilities.
The report further showed that the initiative surpassed its training targets, introduced digital supportive supervision and contributed to the institutionalisation of the Tiered Accreditation System for Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors, laying a foundation for improved reproductive healthcare delivery beyond the project’s lifespan.
