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SFH urges government to create more primary health care centres to achieve universal coverage

By Paul Adunwoke
13 February 2020   |   4:26 am
Society for Family Health (SFH), has called on Nigerian government to create more primary healthcare centres in the country to ensure universal healthcare coverage and access to quality health service for every Nigerian irrespective of social and financial status.

Society for Family Health (SFH), has called on Nigerian government to create more primary healthcare centres in the country to ensure universal healthcare coverage and access to quality health service for every Nigerian irrespective of social and financial status.

Country Lead, A360 Nigeria SFH, Hajia Fatima Muhammad made this call during a media tour at the 9JA Girls Centre Ikotun in Alimosho Local Council of Lagos, created by SFH. She stated that Federal government of Nigeria and state governments need to take action and indeed upscale integrated safe spaces for adolescent girls to more primary healthcare facilities.

Muhammad noted the centre is a trusted system that empowers and supports girls between the age of 15 and 19 and their communities towards improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health, through social and economic development that centers on supporting girls’ knowledge, skills, and confidence to aspire and achieve their life goals.

She said: “Government needs to promote social inclusion and reduce adolescents girls’ vulnerabilities which include review age of access to essential healthcare services of adolescents and young persons from 18 to 14 years. Review and implementation of the national guidelines on integration of adolescents and youth-friendly services into primary healthcare in Nigeria and national guideline for promoting access of young people to adolescents and youths friendly services in PHCs. SFH is 100 percent Nigerian organization, we have been operating in Nigeria for the past 37 years ago.

In the last decade we focused on polio eradication and have finally eradicated polio. “Now we are in a new decade and we feel it is a time for us to focus more on Universal healthcare coverage for all Nigerians irrespective of your social and financial status; every individual should have minimum access to quality healthcare services. Other developed countries that made progress are defined with their ability to achieve universal healthcare coverage therefore, if we as a country must make progress we should endeavor to achieve universal healthcare coverage”.

“SFH implements intervention projects in reproductive health HIV/AIDDs, malaria, maternal, newborn and child health, water purification and adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH). We collaborate with the government of Nigeria with the support of donors such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Fund”.

“SFH has plans to work with partners to facilitate a people centred healthcare creating access to quality health services for 200 million Nigerians. This will be achieved by transforming healthcare delivery, redefining health and community systems innovate policy reforms and strengthen organizational effectiveness”.

“SFH A360 project works through public health facilities as well as private health facilities to create safe spaces for girls both married and unmarried. Girls acquire life, love, family and health skills as well as vocational skills and make informed choices to create the future they envision. The project is currently implemented in eight states which Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Edo, Delta and Nasarawa”.

One of the beneficiaries Funke Adeosun, commended the organisers adding that she has learnt a lot because she combine it with her school programme. She said: “I only come here when close from school every day. I have learnt a lot of skills in this centre such as shoe, bead and soap makings and also I have learnt about sexual education to avoid unwanted pregnancy that mighty lead to abortion”.

Another beneficiary Kafayat Owolabi said she has learnt a lot on how to live a healthy lifestyle especially prevention of menstrual pains. She said “They taught us the importance of maintaining personal hygiene during menstruation period. Again if you experience monthly menstrual discomfort, you skip white, refined foods which including sugar bread, and pasta. Avoid trans-fatty acids and reducing harmful fat intake will also help relieve painful periods”.

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