Nigerian Women, Others To Get Injectable Contraceptives

Nigerian Women, Others To Get Injectable Contraceptives

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Nigerian women and others in 68 countries will now be able to have
access to injectable contraceptives.

The pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Incorporated, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation and the Children Investment Fund Foundation, on
Thursday announced an agreement to expand access to the
contraceptives called Sayana Press.

In Nigeria and many other developing countries, more than 200 million
women want to delay pregnancy or prevent undesired pregnancy but
are not using any method of contraception, the statement noted.

Sayana is approved by regulatory authorities in Nigeria, Bangladesh,
Burkina Faso, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, Uganda, as well as additional
markets in Latin America, the European Union and within the Asia
Pacific region.

The injectable contraceptive is made available for women through the
collaboration of organisations from the public and private sectors.

The product will be sold for $1(N172.00) per dose to qualified
purchasers, who can enable the poorest women in these countries to
have access to the contraceptive at reduced or no cost.

“Sayana Press combines a long-acting, reversible, contraceptive with
an all-in-one prefilled, single-use, non-reusable Uniject injection system that eliminates the need to prepare a needle and syringe. The use of this delivery system allows the contraceptive to be administered by health workers to women at home or in other convenient settings.

“The training required is basic and straightforward. The contraceptive
is indicated for the prevention of pregnancy. Each subcutaneous
injection prevents ovulation and provides contraception for at least 13
weeks,” Pfizer said in a statement made available online.

According to the statement, the new contraceptive will broaden
access to family planning.

The President of Pfizer Global Established Pharma Business, John
Young said, “Pfizer saw an opportunity to address the needs of women
living in hard-to-reach areas, and specifically enhanced the product’s
technology with public health in mind.

“I’m so pleased with the leadership from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and other
collaborating organisations that are helping create a sustainable
market through an approach that could be a model for other
medicines.”

At each of the 69 countries, Pfizer and its partners will work with local
governments with the goal of including injectable contraceptive
methods in reproductive health plans and budgets, coordinate health
worker trainings, and raise awareness about the availability of the
contraceptive.

“Far too many women die or are harmed because of unwanted
pregnancies. This important partnership expands the choice of
affordable contraceptives. We believe this will further support CIFF’s
mission of enabling more women and children to survive and thrive,”
the Chief Executive Officer of CIFF, Michael Anderson said.

Agency report