Greater women initiative/ TB Network, NEPWHAN embarks on Advocacy visit in Abia
Greater women initiative/ TB Network, NEPWHAN embarks on Advocacy visit in Abia
Greater women initiative/ TB Network, NEPWHAN embarks on Advocacy visit in Abia
As part of efforts to ensure inclusiveness, in healthcare and rights of TB patients and people living with HIV/AIDS, the greater women initiative for Health and Rights, TB network and NEPWHAN has embarked on advocacy visit to key institutions in Abia’ state, including National Human Rights Commission, Abia’ and Abia’ state Primary Health Care Development Agency
Speaking, at the two days Advocacy visit, the Team Leader, Mr Jude Obiano of Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights, noted that the advocacy visit was to communicate their findings and seek the support of the key agencies of Government in improving on the deficiencies in HIV, malaria, tuberculosis as well as ensure that their rights are not being violated. According to Mr Obiano, the data collected from the recipients of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the healthcare facilities which were funded by the Global Fund, through the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria to the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria was to come up with community experiences that will help to improve the public health ecosystem.
Mr Obiano pointed out that they have successfully conducted 1,800 client exit interviews from January to June this year, as the interviews were distributed across 10 approved Primary Health Care Centres in Bende, Isiala Ngwa South, Isuikwuato and Umuahia North LGAs and appealed to the Government and other agencies to help in the provision of quality healthcare reform for the people.
He stressed that the community awareness health care services are 81.7%, noting that infrastructural dilapidation and fragmented diagnostic pathways undermines patient safety.
Responding the state Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission Mrs Uche Nwokocha represented by the Assistant Director of Investigation in the Commission, Mrs Ukachi Uka, described the advocacy visit as a route to strengthening the relationship between the commission and Greater Women Initiative for Health and Rights, TB Network and NEPWHAN stressing that the Human Rights Commission is centred on rights of children, women, men as well as other strategic rights and assured that the commission is open for collaboration to tackle human rights violation against, TB, Malaria HIV/AlDS
Speaking when the team took the advocacy to his office the Executive Secretary, Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Kalu U. Kasu, says the Agency is doing everything possible to increase HIV and TB response in all Primary Health Care Facilities in Abia State.
Dr Kalu thanked the leadership of the organisations for embarking on the community-led monitoring initiative in the State.
The Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, identified HIV and TB as highly specialised areas, adding that the duties of the Primary Healthcare Supervisors at the Local Government were centred on sensitising people in rural areas to be conversant with the causes and the symptoms, as the State government’s 750 facilities are devoted to community treatment to ease stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.
He announced that the Primary Healthcare Centre in Ukwu Nwangwu Isukwuato LGA has been captured in the next batch of Healthcare facilities that will be retrofitted by the government, stressing that the Agency has been engaged in delivering incentive packages to pregnant women and thanked the State Governor, Dr Alex Otti for investing so much in Health Care as well as renovating 277 healthcare facilities in the State to increase good healthcare results.