Lukman Abdulmalik
The International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), an EngenderHealth-led Consortium, and the Kano State-Led Accountability Mechanism (KANSLAM) have organized a one-day advocacy workshop for civil society organizations (CSOs), media practitioners, and development partners in Kano State.
The event, held at the Bon Hotel on Wednesday, focused on strengthening advocacy and accountability mechanisms for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) as well as Primary Healthcare (PHC) services.
The workshop served as a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement, enabling participants to discuss key health challenges, share ideas, and strategize on effective advocacy approaches.
In her opening remarks, Maimuna Muhammad, Co-Chair of KANSLAM, highlighted the role of non-state actors in driving accountability and influencing systemic improvements in health.
She highlighted staff attrition, poor infrastructure, and inadequate data systems as critical issues affecting service delivery in Kano.
She stressed the importance of involving the private sector in health investments.
He underscored the role of community awareness, particularly in changing harmful social norms that hinder women’s access to healthcare services.
The Director of ISMPH, Solomon Dogo, reaffirmed the commitment of partners to strengthening outcome-driven collaboration (ODC) among stakeholders.
He acknowledged the contribution of media and CSOs in health advocacy and called for deeper partnerships to build sustainable solutions.
Dogo noted that media capacity building remains a key pillar of ISMPH’s strategy to improve public health accountability.
A presentation by EngenderHealth provided an overview of the “Advocacy Solutions Project” in Kano, designed to enhance multi-stakeholder accountability in RMNCAH and PHC implementation.
The project aims to increase healthcare funding, expand insurance coverage for low-income groups, improve health infrastructure, promote community engagement in decision-making, and reduce health disparities.
With a proposed investment of $4 million, the project will be implemented from October 2024 to April 2028 across Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, and at the national level.
Key partners include the Federal and State Ministries of Health, National and State Primary Healthcare Development Agencies, and State Insurance Agencies.
The situational analysis presented during the workshop painted a sobering picture: nearly 88 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, with the PHC system struggling due to underfunding, weak infrastructure, poor data usage, and systemic gender-related barriers.
The analysis also noted that donor dependence, poor coordination, and a lack of accountability have exacerbated the health sector’s challenges.
Dr. Abdulsalam Kani facilitated a session on the role of CSOs, media, and development partners in strengthening health advocacy.
He pointed out critical areas where advocacy and accountability are needed, including health financing, PHC revitalization, immunization coverage, maternal and child health, health workforce availability, and social protection.
He further identified challenges such as limited access to health data, non-domestication of the Freedom of Information Act in Kano, political interference, media censorship, and poor collaboration among stakeholders.
Dr. Kani advocated for structured engagements and the organization of media parley with key stakeholders such as members of the Kano State House of Assembly (KSHOA) to improve transparency and policy influence.
The training concluded with group work and plenary sessions that focused on developing strategic advocacy and media action plans.
KANSLAM, a coalition comprising CSOs, media organizations, and government representatives from relevant MDAs, continues to play a pivotal role in promoting human capital development in Kano State.
Through coordination, linkages, and unified advocacy, the coalition remains committed to strengthening community involvement and accountability in maternal and child health initiatives.
