KDSG Lauds IntegratE Phase 1 Project … Charges Collaborating Partners to Consolidate On Achievements

1128

KDSG Lauds IntegratE Phase 1 Project

… Charges Collaborating Partners to Consolidate On Achievements
Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, Northwest, Nigeria

The Kaduna state Government has commended the achievements recorded in the IntegratE Phase1 project.
This commendation was given during the end of project (Phase1) dissemination meeting held in Kaduna.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Health Kaduna State,  Hajiya Amina Mohammed Baloni while assessing the achievements of the project described the IntegratE project as timely and that the past 4yrs has recorded a lot of changes.
She commended Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners for their support which she said has helped a great deal in driving the process.
The Commissioner who spoke through her representative, Director pharmaceutical Services, Kaduna state Ministry of health, Pharm. Abubakar Isa Balarabe said it was a job well done but that more needed to be done.
According to her, there is the need to consolidate on the achievements and lessons learnt in the Phase1 project as they move into the second phase of the project.
“For me to see our royal fathers discussing family planning openly is a great achievement.”
She however noted that the way family planning is being discussed in Lagos is not going to be discussed same way in the North. All the same, the project she said has come to stay as such calls for its domestication.
In their separate contributions, the traditional rulers both acknowledged the success of the IntegratE Project.
According to the District Head of Kawo , most of the people did not understand what the project was all about. They taught it was a way of reducing their population and was resistant at the beginning but with much awareness and efforts, they have now understood that it is not meant to reduce the family but a family spacing method.
With the understanding of its benefits, they are willing to embrace the project. He assured.
“We thank Society for Family Health and IntegratE for coming up with this project. People have benefitted a lot from those trained Vendors who these women discuss freely with.
When l find myself in mix of them discussing family spacing and l say one or two things, they become surprised. With this project, l talk a lot about implant, l talk a lot about the injection and the rest.” He said.
In his contribution, the Chiroma Zauzau 
said the challenge is in the area of polygamous system where the wives engage in competition. Each wife wanting to have more children than the other. They are doing their best to educate the women. He added.
Fielding questions from journalists, Pharm. Abubakar gave his assessment of the project.
From the experiences and data that is being displayed here today, we access that finally we can summarily say that it is a work well done. You can hear from the testimonies given by the traditional rulers,  Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) the Community Pharmacists (PCs) and the clients themselves which l must say are very encouraging.
From our side, we say it is a very good development and the project has really achieved a lot.
“We are in need of quality service, we are interested in people conscious of what family planning is and where they can seek for services. We are interested in data capturing so that we can know the number of people accessing family health care services.
On the overall, it will help the government, both state and federal with a data for decision making in order to know what percentage of women are in the reproductive health age that access service and what service.”
This will guide decision makers in terms of either budgeting, monitoring and others . He said.
 Pharm. Abubakar stressed on the sustainability of the project saying government cannot do it alone.
While urging that the referral system be strengthened, he said Information sharing is very vital as such the populace should always have access to information.
The Kaduna state Government he added  welcomes the development because they want improved lives for the people. Almost 50/65 percent of the populace he said are being empowered to go to private services.
“According to research, only 20 percent attend the public health, so if that is the case, we need to do a lot to empower the private sector in providing quality services to the pupulace.”
Pharm.  Abubakar explained that It is in recognition of this fact that Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners have through IntegratE  Project been creating awareness for service demand from these facilities and to also make sure that a data is captured and quality service provided to the people.
 “They emphasized on family awarenesses, that is why they intervene to make sure that Community Pharmacists, (CPs) Patient Medicine Vendors (PPMVS) actually render quality services to the people. Through that quality services, you are encouraging more data capturing, more awareness of family planning, then referrals. That is, anything that is beyond them, they refer such to the public health facilities.”
Speaking on IntegratE project phase 2, he advised that cognisance be taken in the areas of challenges noticed during the phase 1 project for better results saying, Kaduna state is ready to partner with IntergratE collaborators.
In their separate testimonies, both Pharm. Zainab Aliyu and Pharm. Semira,  Patient Medicine Store owners narrated the gains of the IntergratE project.
Pharm. Semira:
“We have been having series of workshops organized by Family planning Non – Governmental organizations (NGOs) like USAID, NUHRI but with the coming of Society for Family Health (SFH) and Consortium on IntegratE Project, l became more equiped.
Before then l used to have phobia to hold needle or syringe and don’t even want to touch client.  But with the capacity l got from IntegratE project where we were trained on how to care for clients that come to our pharmacy health care,  using primary health care facilities close to our own facility, (patient medicine shop), now l am more equiped. With the knowledge l had, l must confess, l am now better improved. Now, l do family planning services at a higher scale, better off than before.
In my facility l was able to do plenty insertions. I must say this project is one of the best projects l have ever attended.” She said.
Pham. Zainab Aliyu is a retired MO staff of Usman Danfodio Teaching Hospital Sokoto.  (UDUTH) with her patient medicine shop in Kaduna.
According to her,
“With the training received, l am able to provide family planning methods, all the methods for my clients. I must tell you that clients in my facility have been on the increase.
“I am very grateful to IntegratE project because up till date in my community, l have about 2,000 clients of family planning and they are still increasing.
I was also sent to Abuja for a programme on ‘self – inject’.  l got more knowledge which l also introduced to my clients in my facility. Today, l have about 40 clients on ‘self- inject.’
I appreciate IntegratE Project. I say keep it up.”
IntegratE project is a 4yr project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and  MSD for Mothers Foundation which started November, 2017 – September, 2021. The project is implemented in Kaduna and Lagos.
The Goal of the project is that of improving the quality of Family Planning Services and Primary Health Care services provided by
Community Pharmacists, (PCs) and Patient Medicine Vendors (PPMVS) and to also support the creation of an enabling environment that will support these services.
See also  Lagos: Zulum receives 2022 HLF award for “excellence” as Anyaoku calls him performer … Gov. dedicates win to armed forces