Stakeholders in the health sector in Ebonyi State have pledged to sustain the gains of a sexual and reproductive health intervention implemented by the Daughters of Virtue and Empowerment Initiative (DOVENET), following the sensitisation of 33,629 residents across 15 communities in the state.
The stakeholders, comprising government officials, traditional rulers, development partners and civil society organisations, made the commitment during the closeout meeting of the Advancing Integrated Health Services Delivery for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Communicable Diseases (SRHR-CD) project in Abakaliki.
The project was implemented by DOVENET in partnership with Jhpiego and the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), targeting communities in Afikpo North, Ebonyi and Ezza South Local Government Areas.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of DOVENET, Mrs Ugo Nnachi, said the intervention was designed to improve access to quality, integrated and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for women, adolescent girls and young people.
Nnachi explained that the project sought to eliminate barriers, including stigma and discrimination, which often prevent vulnerable populations from accessing essential healthcare services.
She said the intervention had strengthened the integration of health services in participating facilities, improved community referral systems and enhanced the involvement of traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and community-based structures in promoting sexual and reproductive health rights.
"When we began this journey, our goal was clear: to contribute to a health system where people can access quality, integrated, respectful and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, alongside essential communicable disease care, free from stigma, discrimination or barriers," she said.
She added that the project was implemented with technical support from Jhpiego and the collaboration of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, NASCP, traditional and religious institutions and civil society organisations.
According to her, the integration of healthcare services was intended to ensure that every encounter at health facilities and within communities provided an opportunity for comprehensive care, dignity and empowerment.
However, Nnachi expressed concern over the sustainability of the achievements recorded, stressing that the capacities developed among healthcare workers and the confidence built within beneficiary communities must not be lost following the conclusion of the project.
She called on the state government, development partners and community stakeholders to consolidate the progress made by integrating successful interventions into existing healthcare structures.
The DOVENET Programme Officer, Igwe Magnus, disclosed that 33,629 people, including young people and women of childbearing age, had been sensitised on sexual and reproductive health and related healthcare issues through the intervention.
Magnus said the project also established youth-friendly corners in participating health facilities to provide young people with confidential platforms to discuss sensitive sexual and reproductive health concerns with trained healthcare workers.
He explained that the initiative was aimed at improving access to accurate health information, encouraging timely health-seeking behaviour and ensuring that young people could obtain appropriate services without fear of discrimination or stigmatisation.
In a goodwill message, a representative of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma, and the Director of Public Health, Dr Ajah Gabriel, reaffirmed the state government's commitment to sustaining effective public health interventions beyond their respective project cycles.
The representative stressed the importance of identifying and institutionalising interventions capable of delivering enduring benefits, while ensuring that investments in the health sector continued to translate into improved healthcare outcomes for communities.
The state government also emphasised the need for collective responsibility among relevant institutions, development partners and community stakeholders to preserve the gains recorded through the intervention.
Other stakeholders, including the traditional ruler of Amuzu in Ezza South Local Government Area, HRH Eze Frank Nwakpu Ujebe, and Chief Sylvester Okoro of Nkaleke-Echara Ndiebor community in Ebonyi Local Government Area, commended DOVENET for its contributions to improving public awareness and access to essential healthcare information.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Ebonyi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EBOSACA), Prince Chibueze Eshi, and the Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Emeka Philip Ovuba, acknowledged the importance of the intervention in strengthening community-level health awareness and service delivery.
They called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, healthcare institutions, traditional authorities and development partners to ensure that the benefits of the project extended beyond the participating communities.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by representatives of NASCP, Jhpiego, the State Ministry of Health and civil society organisations, who commended DOVENET and its community partners for their contributions to the successful implementation of the programme.
Highlights of the closeout meeting included testimonies from beneficiaries, cultural dance performances, an exhibition of DOVENET's project achievements, a panel discussion and the signing of a sustainability commitment by community leaders and other stakeholders.
The commitment, according to the organisers, is expected to strengthen local ownership of the intervention and provide a framework for preserving the project's achievements after the expiration of its implementation period.
