The Kaduna State Government and its development partners have concluded the five-year Inclusive Family Planning (IFPLAN) project, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening disability-inclusive healthcare across the state.
The close-out ceremony was held on Monday at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna, where stakeholders described the project as a landmark intervention that has transformed access, equity and dignity in healthcare delivery for persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the event, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health said the initiative had significantly improved access to family planning services for persons with disabilities (PWDs) while laying a sustainable foundation for a more inclusive primary healthcare system.
The IFPLAN project was funded by UK Aid and implemented by Sightsavers International in partnership with the Kaduna State Government, BBC Media Action, the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), PENDA and the Network of Women with Disabilities.
According to Sightsavers, the project directly reached more than 1,900 persons with disabilities through community-based interventions and delivered family planning information to over 544,000 PWDs. In addition, more than three million people without disabilities were reached with stigma-reduction messages via radio and digital platforms.
As part of the project, accessibility audits were carried out in 24 health facilities, with renovations completed in 23 of them to improve physical access. About 1,500 healthcare workers were also trained on disability-inclusive service delivery, with 97 per cent reporting improved knowledge and confidence.
Policy and institutional reforms formed a major component of the project. Kaduna State domesticated the National Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Policy for Persons with Disabilities and adopted a costed implementation plan estimated at $22 million. Disability desk officers were appointed in all 24 Local Government Health Authorities and in 23 participating health facilities, while eight persons with disabilities were integrated into health facility committees.
At the national level, all 14 federal health regulatory bodies have reportedly begun incorporating disability inclusion into their training curricula.
Programme Director for Neglected Tropical Diseases at Sightsavers, Anita Gwom, said the project’s outcomes went beyond figures, representing real improvements in the lives of beneficiaries through the removal of longstanding barriers and amplification of the voices of persons with disabilities.
She emphasised that disability inclusion should be treated as a continuous obligation rather than a time-bound project, calling for sustained investment and collaboration among stakeholders.
The Commissioner for Health said the project helped change mindsets, strengthened trust between healthcare providers and communities, and removed physical and communication barriers through the provision of assistive devices such as wheelchairs, artificial limbs, hearing and learning aids.
He described the development of a dedicated SRHR policy for persons with disabilities as a major milestone that would strengthen accountability and guide future healthcare interventions.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani, the Commissioner pledged continued policy backing, resource mobilisation and advocacy to ensure the gains of the project are sustained and scaled.
Participants at the event described IFPLAN as a model of effective collaboration between government, development partners and disability groups and called for its lessons to inform future health programmes in Kaduna and beyond.
The event ended with calls on government, civil society and communities to sustain the progress made and ensure that persons with disabilities remain central to health decision-making processes.