…….. as USAID MSSFPO project winds up
By Danladi Abubakar
Engender Health, the implementing partners of USAID funded MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics Project (MSSFPO) has honoured the Bauchi State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adamu Umar Sambo, the Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Hospital Management Board (HMB) and three other healthcare service providers drawn from some secondary health facilities across the State.
The presentation of Awards were part of activities marking the close out of the MSSFPO Project in the State which was held on 7th June, 2024 at the Chartwell Hotel Bauchi.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Kabiru Atta, Country Director of Engender Health said that the objective of the State Sustainability and Scale-up event was to assess the status of the project interventions, identify opportunities for sustainability and expansion, develope strategies for long term impact in Bauchi State.
Represented by Engender Health’s Senior Clinical Associate, Umar Abdulrazak, Dr. Atta emphasized the Project’s transformative impact on healthcare delivery, health outcomes, and quality of life, stressing the importance of sustaining the interventions for future generations.
The Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Hospital Management Board (HMB), Dr. Mohammed Sambo Alkali, in his opening remarks said that, since the inception of the MSSFPO Project, over 3 years ago, some selected health facilities in the State have led the implementation of the innovative strategies and best practices introduced by the project, to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Dr. Alkali further said that, through dedicated efforts, the State has witnessed significant improvements in the quality of care, especially in MNCH and safe Caesarean deliveries at the facilities where the MSSFPO Project is being implemented.
“These initiatives have saved lives and restored hope and dignity to many individuals and families in our communities. The adoption of the ROBSON classification, the WHO surgical safety checklist, and efforts in Fistula repairs, and continuous capacity building for healthcare workers have made a lasting impact on Bauchi State’s health landscape”, said Dr. Alkali.
In a keynote address, Bauchi State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adamu Sambo, commended the USAID Momentum Project and assured that the state would continue to uphold and expand the best practices introduced by the Project.
He highlighted the commitment of the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, to improving healthcare outcomes and the government’s sector-wide approach to healthcare system strengthening, stressing that ” no healthcare facility will be left behind in our drive to improved healthcare services”.
Presentation on the overview of the project, milestones, lessons learnt, strength and weaknesses, and opportunities was made by the Senior Clinical Associate, Umar Abdulrazak .
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of Awards to State Commissioner of Health, the EC of HMB, 2 personnel of the ministry of health and 2 healthcare service providers for their exceptional support and partnership to the implementation of the MSSFPO Project.
Some of the participants that spoke to our correspondent thanked the USAID MSSFPO Project for enhancing their capacity towards improved MNCH and also pledged to cascade the knowledge gained to others.
During a breakout session, participants were divided into 4 groups, with each group looking at, what worked well, what did not, what recommendations, and what are the plans for sustainability.
