ABSTRACT
Background: The use of family planning (FP) methods and stockouts of contraceptives are major challenges to the FP program in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the level of stockouts of contraceptives in Nigerian health facilities. This survey was carried out in 767 health facilities offering FP services across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving a quantitative technique. Data were collected from 116 private and 651 public health facilities in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the facilities, and a physical inventory was taken. Data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS, version 25.0. Results: The stockout rate in the last 3 months was 63.8% in private and 47.5% in public health facilities (P = 0.001), whereas stockouts on the visit day were 63.8% in private and 51.0% in public facilities (P = 0.011). On the day of the visit, the stockout rate in private health facilities ranged from 9.3% to 26.5%, whereas it ranged from 5.3% to 24.2% in public health facilities. The main causes of stockouts of some contraceptives are low/no demand and a lack of supply. Conclusions: This study found a high level of stockouts of FP services in private and public health facilities, but higher in private facilities. Both the poor supply and low demand for FP services in Nigeria require the attention of policymakers and health officials.
ABSTRACT
Background: The reduction of maternal mortality rate has been the top priority of global health, yet its persistently high rate in Africa is a severe issue that requires the attention of both the individual and policymakers. Objective: To determine the maternal mortality rate by applying the sisterhood method in six local government areas in Oyo State. Materials and Methods: The indirect sisterhood method was used to collect data concerning maternal mortality. For study purposes, the data were collected from women in the reproductive age group between 15 and 49 years using a structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0 software was used for analyzing the collected data. Results: It has been observed that the average maternal mortality rate in the six local government areas was 489/100,000 live births ranging from 346 to 756/100,000 live births. The highest maternal mortality rate was found in Iseyin local government area (756/100,000 live births), followed by 586/100,000 from Saki, 444 from Ibadan North, 430 from Ogbomosho, 374 from Atiba, and the least value of 346/100,000 live births in Ibadan North local government area. Conclusion: The maternal mortality rate has been found lower than the previous studies but still unacceptably high, especially among adolescents aged 15–39 years. Therefore, it is advocated that policymakers employ appropriate interventions such as the release of more funds for standard family planning and childbirth spacing programs to minimize maternal mortality in the state.