The Oti Regional Public Health Officer, Veronica Kakah, has made a strong appeal for the provision of Intrauterine Device (IUD) insertion kits to enhance family planning services in the region.
She emphasized the urgent need for these essential medical supplies, which are crucial for promoting reproductive health and empowering women to make informed choices about their family planning options.
Ms. Kakah made the appeal during a training workshop on capacity building for Family Planning Service Providers, focused on data capturing and management in Nkwanta South.
The workshop brought together Community Health Nurses, Midwives, and Health Information Officers from the Nkwanta South Municipality, Krachi East, and Nkwanta North.
In today’s data-driven healthcare landscape, Ms. Kakah stressed that the availability of accurate, timely, and comprehensive data is fundamental to the success of health programs, particularly in Family Planning (FP).
She noted that reliable data supports evidence-based decision-making, ensures efficient resource allocation, and facilitates the monitoring and evaluation of service delivery outcomes.
Despite its importance, many FP service providers struggle to maintain high-quality data due to various systemic and operational challenges.
The two-day training workshop, supported by UNFPA, aimed to strengthen the competencies of Family Planning service providers in data collection, reporting, and utilization.
Objectives:
To build the capacity of FP service providers in accurate and timely data capturing techniques.
To enhance understanding of data validation and its utilization for service improvement.
To improve the completeness and timeliness of FP data at both facility and district levels.
To reinforce the use of data for planning, supervision, and accountability.
Ms. Kakah urged the government, NGOs, and other institutions to prioritize the procurement and distribution of these essential kits.
By doing so, she said, stakeholders would take a significant step toward reducing unintended pregnancies and improving overall health indicators in the region.
Addressing the participants, Joseph Antwi Awal, the Municipal Chief Executive of Nkwanta South, expressed his support for Ms. Kakah’s appeal.
He acknowledged the critical role that family planning plays in sustainable development and assured participants that the government would explore ways to secure the necessary resources to meet the growing demand for IUDs and other family planning methods.