By BANNERNEWS Reporter
Cross River State Government has received a fresh consignment of family planning commodities procured through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), following the payment of ₦22 million as counterpart funding.
The items were formally received at the state warehouse on Barracks Road, Calabar, by the Ministry of Health, marking another step in the state’s drive to strengthen reproductive, maternal and child health services.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, who received the commodities, confirmed that the ₦22 million represented about 25 per cent of the state’s total financial commitment to reproductive health logistics.
He commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for prioritising family planning and reproductive health, noting that the timely release of funds made the procurement and delivery possible.
Dr Ayuk disclosed that the commodities arrived in good condition in December 2025 and would now be immediately distributed to primary and secondary health facilities across the 18 local government areas of the state.
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“This official handover clears the way for deployment to health facilities statewide,” he said, assuring that the supplies would be efficiently utilised to improve access to family planning services.
UNFPA Head of Office and Programme Coordinator in Cross River State, Dr Andrew Kirima, described the handover as evidence of effective domestic resource mobilisation by the state government.
He confirmed the delivery of 936 units of Implanon NXT and 118,656 male condoms, noting that Cross River has joined the growing number of states funding family planning commodities from their own resources.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Nursing Education, Mrs Uduak Spencer Efem, stressed that skilled health workers were critical to reducing maternal mortality and maximising the impact of family planning services.
The State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Katame Triumph, described the delivery as a major milestone, adding that priority would be given to reaching women and families in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
The event ended with the adoption of a distribution roadmap to ensure immediate movement of the commodities to health facilities, in line with the state government’s “People First” agenda.
