A non governmental organization Daughters of Virtue and Empowerment Initiative (DOVENET) and other partners have started sensitization on improving access to integrated sexual and reproductive health rights and communicable disease (SRHR-CD) services across Ebonyi State targeting parents, caregivers and all adolescents.

Speaking during a media engagement in Abakaliki, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of DOVENET, Mr. Peter Ewa noted that the sensitization is being supported by Global Fund noting that they hope to create awareness of advancing Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Communicable Diseases in the state.

Othe partners include Jhpiego and the National AIDS, Viral, The Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP).

Mr. Peter Ewa who represented the Executive Director of the organisation, Mrs. Ugo Nnachi, said the project seeks to strengthen community ownership of healthcare services and improve collaboration between health workers and community stakeholders.

As part of the initiative, DOVENET supported community outreach activities led by healthcare workers during the month of June, integrating the campaign into the National Primary Health Care Development Agency’s Child Health Week and the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise.

Participants were educated on the benefits of routine childhood immunisation, HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, family planning services, adolescent-friendly health services, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, syphilis screening and other comprehensive healthcare services.

A major component of the campaign is the “One Visit, Multiple Services” approach, which encourages individuals to access a range of healthcare services during a single visit to health facilities.
Community members were also sensitised on referral pathways designed to ensure timely access to specialised care and treatment where necessary.

Ewa explained that the programme is being implemented in one local government area in each of Ebonyi State’s three senatorial zones.

According to him, the project is currently being implemented in Ebonyi Local Government Area in Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, Ezza South Local Government Area in Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone, and Afikpo North Local Government Area in Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone.

He said selected health facilities under the project include Abofia, Nnodo, Chidera, Oguzoronweya and Okaria health centres in Ebonyi LGA; Okposi, Ameze, Amuzu, Okoffia and Achara Ugwu health centres in Ezza South; as well as Popere, Amachara, Ngagbo, Unwana and Amachara health centres in Afikpo North.

Ewa said DOVENET has trained Ward Development Committees (WDCs) and other community structures to take ownership of health interventions and drive awareness campaigns within their communities.

“The community must own these activities because development partners will not be there forever. We need ownership and accountability. The communities have started leading activities on their own by engaging churches, markets and other social platforms to educate residents on sexual and reproductive health issues, gender-based violence and child protection,” he said.

He disclosed that community champions had so far conducted 38 sensitisation activities, reaching more than 2,000 people across the participating communities.

The monitoring and evaluation officer noted that the initiative also seeks to address gaps in health data management and referral systems through the introduction of community referral cards to track service uptake and improve documentation.

He explained that the referral cards would enable healthcare providers and community volunteers to monitor whether referred clients access services at designated facilities.

Ewa further stressed the importance of continuous training, message harmonisation and supportive supervision to ensure that community volunteers deliver accurate and consistent information.

“We keep training and retraining them, harmonising messages and supervising their activities to ensure that the right information is passed to community members,” he added.

He urged journalists and media practitioners to support the campaign by creating awareness on the availability of free sexual and reproductive health services at primary healthcare centres.

According to him, available services include antenatal care, postpartum family planning, HIV testing, tuberculosis screening, hepatitis screening, cervical cancer awareness and gender-based violence support services.

“The media has a critical role to play in helping communities understand that sexual and reproductive health services are their rights and that many of these services are available free of charge at nearby health facilities,” Ewa said.

The outreach activities, stakeholders said, are expected to improve health-seeking behaviour, reduce misinformation and increase demand for integrated healthcare services across Ebonyi State.