* ***Kogi Government Gets Support To Boost Reproductive Health Services, Lauches
Hormonal IUD Training for Nurses In Colaboration With Federal Ministry of Health and Development Partners***
By: Rotimi Odofin
In a significant milestone to boost access to family health planning services in Kogi state, the state Ministry of health has welcomed the joint support of the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration, with support from Engender Health Project, to officially launched a comprehensive training program focused on Hormonal Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) for nurses in Secondary health
facilities in the state.
The initiative is geared towards equipping healthcare professionals with the essential skills and knowledge required to enhance reproductive health services and expand family planning options for women of reproductive ages in the state. 
The training program, which was declared open by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, who was represented by Mr. Steven Momoh Aziz, Permanent Secretary of the ministry ,shows a strong commitment to improving reproductive health services and family planning accessibility across every community in the state.
According to Dr Afolabi Ahmed Shola, project coordinator on Hormonal Intrauterine Devices scale up project ; the main objective of the training is to ensure that healthcare workers, nurses who are drawn from secondary health facilities in the state received the needed skills and competency on Hormonal Intrauterine Devices IUDs service provisions as one of the family planning choices for women of reproductive ages in communities across Kogi state.
He noted that the training is taking place in the state based on outcome of the 2023 NDHS reports that shows the wild onmeant family planning needs in the state.and the fact that there is low access to mordan contraceptives in the state.
Also speaking the reproductive health services Coordinator in the state Ministry of Health, Doctor Grace Afolabi said the training program is mainly for building the capacities of nurses on hormonal Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and equally build the capacity of Medical Records Officers (MROs) on data entry of family planning in their various health facilities.
She disclosed that the training program convened 25 nurses and 25 medical record officers from various healthcare facilities, providing them with both hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge regarding Hormonal IUDs capacity building. The landmark training is being closely overseen by key stakeholders in the state health sector, which includes, Dr Onimisi Abdullahi Ajayi, representing the state Executive Director, of PHCDA and two other representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and one representative from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Their involvement highlights the significance of the training in advancing healthcare delivery and ensuring that reproductive health services meet the needs of the community effectively in line with the international world health services.
The wholesome investment in the capacity building of healthcare professionals, the nurses, is poised to improve the quality of reproductive health services, particularly in the area of family planning amongst the women of reproductive ages in the state. The milestone collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health, Kogi Ministry of Health, SPHCDA, and Engender Health demonstrates a common commitment towards improving healthcare results in the well-being of individuals and communities across Kogi State. The laudable commitment is a gaint stride in improving the healthcare system and improving the well-being of Kogi State citizens and, by extension, Nigerians