The International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and The Challenge Initiative (TCI), joined development partners over the weekend to stage a public awareness walk in commemoration of World Contraception Day 2025. The event sought to promote the adoption of modern contraceptive methods, empower couples to make informed reproductive choices, and enhance access to safe and effective family planning services across the state.

The awareness walk, supported by EngenderHealth and other partners, brought together health officials, community leaders, and residents from various parts of Lagos. Participants engaged in educational outreach activities, distributed informational materials, and underscored the role of contraception in reducing maternal mortality, advancing gender equality, and building healthier communities.

Representing the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, Director of Family Health and Nutrition, emphasized the importance of creating continuous public awareness on family planning. She called for youth-friendly access to reproductive health services and encouraged the amplification of positive stories that promote responsible family planning practices.

“This event is about creating awareness for everyone to plan their family,” Dr. Oludara noted. “Children should not be brought into the world by accident—every child deserves love, care, and intentional upbringing.” She reaffirmed that every woman has a reproductive health right and urged women to prioritize their well-being by accessing reliable information and services.

Highlighting the ministry’s strategies, Dr. Oludara explained ongoing efforts to reach grassroots communities through last-mile distribution of contraceptives, ensuring the availability of diverse methods in medical facilities, and strengthening personalized counseling. She acknowledged the crucial support of partners, including TCI and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in training health workers and expanding access to services.

In her remarks, Dr. Latifatu Adeleye, the Lagos State Family Planning Manager, explained that modern contraceptive methods—ranging from hormonal and barrier options to surgical and natural methods—enable couples to plan childbirth responsibly. She noted that the government has deployed mobile family planning teams to underserved areas, ensuring that services such as implants and injectables are accessible to all.

Throughout the event, ISMPH and partners supported the distribution of free condoms and informational materials while engaging residents in discussions on reproductive health, family planning benefits, and available contraceptive options.

For ISMPH, the walk represented more than an awareness campaign—it was an advocacy platform reinforcing the importance of informed reproductive choices and equitable access to family planning information and services. The Society remains committed to amplifying media-driven advocacy that supports healthier families, empowered women, and a future where every pregnancy is planned and every child is wanted.