Background
Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is high and unsafe abortion is one of the main causes. Giving people access to family planning services and contraceptive methods is a strategic way of preventing unwanted pregnancies and ultimately also unsafe abortions. Isolo General Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, has seen the number of childbirths increasing over time, while the usage of family planning services has stayed the same.

About the project
This project was created to increase the utilization of family planning services among healthy and HIV-positive women accessing obstetric care at Isolo General Hospital in Lagos. The project team trained the hospital staff on the importance of family planning services and established family planning counseling as a part of routine health talks at several hospital departments. These departments included the antenatal, postnatal and immunization clinic, in order to reach all mothers with information about family planning and the services available.

Results
By the end of this project, there was an obvious increased usage of family planning methods among women accessing care at Isolo General Hospital. The hospital’s yearly average was reached in just one month after the project started. Family planning counseling is now a standard service for most women who give birth and condoms and intrauterine devices (IUDs) are the most popular choices. The project team are now planning on replicating this successful model to other health facilities in Lagos state.

Year: 2010