50% of SFH’s programme beneficiaries are the poor.

50% of rural pregnant women and children under 5 sleep under long lasting insecticide treated nets in at least two focus states.
Modern contraceptive prevalence rate increases from 11% to 16%.

Consistent condom use among high risk groups increases by 20%.

SFH MISSION

Society for Family Health has a mission to empower Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable to lead healthier lives...more 

AUGUST MEETING:
A PERIOD TO REACH MORE WOMEN IN THE SOUTH EAST

It is an all important annual event which takes place in the month of August every year. It is usually time for Igbo speaking women to return from their base and converge in a grand meeting that lasts for days. The meeting presents the opportunity to discuss and deliberate on issues that affect them commonly and bring up suggestions and ideas on how to tackle their problems and help the advancement of the entire communiy. In most cases, participation is reserved for married women from the community and it is compulsory. Absenteeism attracts a fine. The idea behind this concept is superb and could indeed serve as best practice for the rest of the world to learn from, in terms of stimulating communal growth through women participation, a veritable aspect of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).
The SFH TEAM in Enugu region seized the opportunity of this meeting period to reach out to women in the communities of Enugu and Anambra states. Issues bordering on health were extensively discussed. PUR demonstration was made, product placement also. A total of nine (9) communities were visited by different SFH teams. Emphasis was on family planning and reproductive health (FP and RH) services.

Mpu community was one of the locations visited, where a health talk was given to wmen who had gathered for the meeting at one of the community secondary schools. The talks bordered on the following:

• General benefits of family planning to the individual, family and the community
• Effectiveness of methods, advantages and side effects
• How to use and when to return for new uptake i.e. the effective span of each method.
• Longer Term Methods

A total number of over 1000 women were reached out of which 320 were referred to SFH Women’s Health Project FP Partner facilities. The women asked a lot of questions on family planning after the talk, to which responses were duly given to the participants.
The Enugu team also distributed introductory brochures and fliers, including materials on the use of Water Guard. Cartons of Water Guard were equally placed on this visit to Mpu. The Enugu Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) Team also demonstrated on how to use SFH products PUR and Water Guard. This also took place in Mpu Aninri LGA, where a health talk was given by the SFH WASH consultant, who focused mostly on general behaviour change required in hygiene, sanitation and safe water treatment system. The women were made to understand that people, especially children can get infected with water borne diseases even when their surroundings are clean as a result of failure to wash hands. The practice of personal hygiene, sanitation and safe water treatment was therefore emphasised.

PUR floculating muddy water in a WASH demonstration.

The community women leaders appreciated Society for Family Health for all their efforts in going the extra mile to ensure that women enjoy good reproductive health.

Society for Family Health, Creating Change…Enhancing Lives