By Lizzy Carr
Bauchi State commissioner of health and social welfare Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam has reiterated the state’s commitment to provide effective, efficient and quality healthcare services to its citizens.
Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam who was speaking at the inception meeting of the Challenge Fund Project funded by the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) held on Thursday at the State Emergency Operation Center (EOC), Bauchi.
The Commissioner stressed that to ensure quality healthcare service delivery, the State has adopted the Abuja Declaration of 15% budget allocation to the health sector, the revitalisation of health agencies and the capitalization of the Drugs Medical Consumables and Management Agency with the sum of 250 million naira.
He added that, health facilities across all levels have been upgraded and well equipped while personnel have been recruited to provide quality and skilled services to the clients visiting.
The Commissioner commended Marie Stopes International MSI for choosing the State as part of the beneficiaries of the multi-million US Dollar project which will improve family health in the area of child spacing services.
He assured that all relevant health agencies will perform the functions expected of them in line with objectives of the project implementation.
Country Director, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices Emmanuel Ajah stated that Bauchi is the state where MSI Nigeria has received countless supports through the Ministry of Health, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, traditional and religious leaders, community-based groups, and other partners collaborating with it.
“We are here today for the inception meeting of the Challenge Fund Project. This project represents our opportunity to scale up last-mile Family Planning access, including Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), to reach first-time parents and deliver services to the last mile across 7 states in Nigeria, including Bauchi State.”
He added that the project will support 2 Outreach teams in Bauchi State, in addition to aiding 400 Public Sector Strengthening (PSS) facilities and 50 MS Ladies. These efforts contribute to Nigeria’s goal of achieving a 27% modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) by 2030.”
“As an organisation, MSI Nigeria is committed to deepening the existing relationship with the Bauchi State government to accomplish the key priorities of the Challenge Fund Project in this state.”
He disclosed that these priorities include achieving a shift in modern contraceptives prevalence rate mCPR, ensuring commodity security, reaching the underprivileged, and ultimately ensuring the sustainability of this project through government ownership in line with the sector-wide approach (SWAP) initiative.
“Our collective target is to increase the uptake of modern child spacing services in Bauchi, particularly among those intending to use them and adolescent first- time parent and we aim to enhance the quality of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the state and strengthen the community environment that promotes the scaled-up uptake of Family Planning across the local government areas of implementation.”
He acknowledge and appreciated the willingness of the Bauchi State government to collaborate with MSI Nigeria and other partners on the new journey.
“We will continue to be grateful for the support from the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) for funding these necessary interventions, particularly during this period of global funding cuts.
“Together with your support as stakeholders, we will implement this commendable project for the benefit of women in the communities. MSI Nigeria is enthusiastic about collaborating with all stakeholders in Bauchi State to achieve our shared goal of improving access to and expanding the choice of voluntary and comprehensive modern family planning and child spacing services.”
The State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) commended MSI for the project stressing that clients are really assessing the child spacing services but they are limited by unavailability of the commodities.
Speaking through the Secretary who is the Executive Chairman of Giade local government area, pledged full support for the implementation of the MSI project which he said is for the benefit of the people of the state.
The inception meeting objectives is to support the State ministry of health and primary health care Board to scale up access to services by supporting 400 public facilities,to be selected based on coverage and unmet post-partum childbirth spacing.
Others include delivering childbirth spacing directly to the most underserved communities beyond the reach of the health system through two mobile outreach teams and to support 52 trained community providers (MSI Ladies) to deliver community -based services with a focus on post-partum childbirth spacing for community delivery.
