Home Health NGO Steps up Advocacy for Improved Gender Sensitive, Inclusive Healthcare Services

NGO Steps up Advocacy for Improved Gender Sensitive, Inclusive Healthcare Services

by Isiyaku Ahmed
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Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

The Community Health and Research Initiative (CRI) with the support from the USAID Integrated Health Program (IHP), has stepped up its advocacy to ensure improved quality, gender sensitive and all- inclusive primary healthcare services in Kebbi State.

The Project Manager of the Initiative, Alhaji Salisu, Muhammad Musa, disclosed this at a one- day health sector stakeholders’ quarterly accountability forum in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the forum was organized in collaboration with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to disseminate a draft of the state community transparency and accountability scorecards with the relevant state ministries, agencies and other partners.

“The aim of this activity is to promote partnership between CSOs, networks, government officials and other implementing partners, to share updates and Kebbi state performance on 2021 budget releases for health expenditure

“It is also aimed at updating budget for health care performance fund’s implementation, other health indicators using scorecards and agree on way forward to improve quality, gender sensitive and all-inclusive primary healthcare services,” Musa said.

Musa also recalled that the stakeholders met on June 10, and identified as well as prioritized key health advocacy issues in the state and built consensus on five key health advocacy issues.

“These five issues are, inadequate or delay in release of key PHC services and facilities upgrading or renovation budget; lack of political will to fully implement the state health insurance; and non-fully implementation of primary healthcare under one roof.

“Inadequate human resources at primary healthcare level and no agency for drug management agency.

“These are the advocacies we are stepping up in order to ensure the improvement of gender sensitive and all – inclusive primary healthcare services in the state, he stated

He further explained that Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) is a national NGO established in November, 2000 with mission of stimulating collective response in the country and address the needs for improved quality health care services.

“These quality healthcare services are those that affect women and children and will be done through advocacy, accountability, mobilization, training, research and information sharing that influence evidence -based policies and programs.

 CHR is implementing USAID Integrated health program’s grant in Bauchi and Kebbi State titled “Advocacy and Accountability Grant for Improved Governance, Resourcing and Stewardship of the Primary Health Care System for a period of five-month May 2021 to September 2021. 

In his remarks, the state Executive Secretary of Primary Healthcare Service Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr Abubakar Ka’oje, thanked the CRI for organizing and inviting the stakeholders in order to improve on transparency and accountability in the primary healthcare services.

“We need that transparency and accountability not only in healthcare sector but also all human endeavors.

“More than ever before, we are realizing the importance of accountability and transparency, hence we have adopted the idea of bringing primary healthcare under one roof in the state,” he said.

Ka’oje however assured of the agency readiness and commitment to support and provide the needed instruments in order to entrench the values of transparency and accountability in the state.

Highlights was the formation and inauguration of Kebbi State Led Accountability Mechanism (KESLAM), with mandate to speak with one voice on health issues in the state with representations from Kebbi Advocacy Core Group, Kebbi Coalition of NGOs, Kebbi Coalition of CSOs and the Media.

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