Hormonal IUD Now Available In 8,400 Nigerian Facilities – SFH

The Society for Family Health (SFH), in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI 360) and the Federal Ministry of Health, has disseminated findings from the Hormonal IUD in New and Emerging Markets (SHINE) research project in Nasarawa State.

They spoke at a meeting held on Wednesday in Lafia, which brought together representatives of ministries of health, development partners, healthcare providers, researchers, donor agencies, professional associations, media organisations and SFH management.

Speaking at the event, Mr Abdulsamad Salihu, Executive Director, Donor Funded Portfolio Directorate (DFPD), SFH, described the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s reproductive health journey.

Represented by Dr Eze Nwokoma, Associate Coordinating Director, Programme Management Unit, Salihu said that the SHINE project had generated practical and actionable evidence. He said that the evidence was capable of informing national policy, strengthening programme design, guiding donor investments and supporting sustainable scale-up strategies for innovative family planning interventions.

“Today’s dissemination meeting represents far more than the close-out of a project. It marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward expanding contraceptive choice, strengthening reproductive health systems and advancing evidence-based healthcare solutions for women and families,” he said.

Salihu noted that the hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) offered women an additional high-quality contraceptive option that could improve client satisfaction, expand method choice and strengthen informed reproductive health decision-making.

According to him, the project findings revealed significant improvements in service delivery, availability, accessibility and acceptability of the hormonal IUD as part of the family planning method mix.

He added that findings presented at the meeting showed that hormonal IUDs were offered in every state in Nigeria between 2024 and 2025, with more than 8,400 facilities providing the service.

The SFH executive director said the study also showed that women viewed the hormonal IUD positively because they experienced few or no negative side effects and considered it a reliable method for preventing pregnancy.

He further stated that healthcare providers were overwhelmingly supportive of the method, citing its therapeutic benefits for women with heavy menstrual bleeding and the positive menstrual changes experienced by clients.

Earlier, Dr Ibrahim Alhassan, Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, described hormonal IUDs as strategic interventions for preventing unwanted pregnancies and reducing maternal mortality.

“We all know that pregnancy is not a disease and no woman should die because of pregnancy-related causes. One of the wonderful strategies we have to prevent women from dying is if we can prevent unwanted pregnancies and properly space wanted pregnancies,” he said.

Alhassan stressed the need for greater involvement of men in family planning advocacy and awareness campaigns, noting that dissemination of information should not end with the meeting.

He urged participants to take the findings to communities to ensure wider awareness and improved uptake of family planning services.

Also speaking, Dr Helen Anyasi, Country Lead, SHINE Project, FHI 360, said the project was designed to address low awareness, provider capacity gaps and inadequate availability of IUD services in Nigeria’s public health system.

She explained that the project, implemented in Nasarawa, Bauchi, Oyo and Ebonyi states, examined provider training needs, user experiences, community acceptability and the effectiveness of digital training approaches for healthcare providers.

According to her, the studies utilised both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including surveys, interviews, focus group discussions and clinical observations to assess provider competency and service delivery practices.

Participants at the meeting called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, implementing partners, healthcare providers and donor agencies to ensure that evidence generated through the SHINE project translates into policy action and expanded access to quality family planning services.