The Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (SOGON), under the Partnership for Advocacy in family and child Health At Scale (PAS), supported the National Reproductive Health Technical Working Group (NRHTWG) meeting to review plans and strategies towards improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRs) in Nigeria.

The meeting held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions in March 2021 is responsible for planning, coordinating, and reviewing Reproductive Health activities in Nigeria to make necessary recommendations to the Honorable Minister of Health for implementation. 

The objective of the meeting was to:

•    Develop the unified FP/RH 2021 work plan, 

•    Agree on the unified plan to monitor implementation and receive updates from partners on Reproductive Health issues.

•    States on RH activities/ work plan as well as an update from NRHTWG Sub-committees

Participants for the meeting came from the Federal Ministry of Health’s Department of Family Planning, SOGON-PAS, M-Space, CHAI, UNFPA, JPIEGO, WHO, WHISPA, JSI, SFH, and other Donor organizations. 

In her opening remarks for the meeting was read by Director/HOD Family Health Dept.-Dr. Salma Anas-Kolo, urged the participants to work hard to develop recommendations that will guide the Minister in making the right decision.

Key issues discussed during the platform meeting include demand Generation and SBC, Procurement and Supplies; New and Underutilized FP Technology, Monitoring, Coordination Evaluation, and Research, Service Delivery, Advocacy, Accountability, and Resource Mobilization (AARM). RH Market Analysis: Findings from the Hormonal IUS market analysis are “Embracing Digital solutions for improving Sexual and reproductive health.”

Next step

At the end of the meeting, members agreed to:

· Submit of First Quarter NRHTWG Meeting Report to HMH

· Finalize pending Reproductive Health documents, e.g., RH/FP Protocol, National Guidelines for State-Funded Procurement of FP Commodities, Hormonal Intrauterine System Strategy, MPDSR Guideline, etc.

· Finalize Quantification, Procurement, and Supply Plan for Contraceptive Commodities

· Hold Planning Meeting to finalize modalities for the commemoration of the 2021 Safe Motherhood Day

· Conduct fisal Space Analysis, Sustainable FP Financing to be presented to MDAs

· Recommitment Process and FP Blueprint Dissemination to all the states

· Capacity building of Doctors & Nurses on Obstetric Fistula (OF) in all states of the federation

· Investment Case on the establishment of additional VVF National Centre