Stakeholders holders in Health sector have intensified advocacy for the integration of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights services with communicable disease interventions across communities.
They raised the concerns during a sensitisation meeting held in Ilorin under the Advancing Integrated Health Services Delivery for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Communicable Diseases Project, with funding support from The Global Fund.
Implemented by the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health, the initiative is being executed by Jhpiego in partnership with the Hope for Family Development Initiative across Offa, Asa and Moro Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of HFDI, Dr. Aremu Stephen, said the project was aimed at addressing barriers that continue to prevent vulnerable groups from accessing essential healthcare services despite ongoing investments in the health sector.
He further revealed that 167 community and religious leaders had been engaged and sensitised on issues relating to stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence and rights abuses to enable them promote inclusion within their communities.
Highlighting achievements recorded so far, Stephen disclosed that over 15,000 residents had received accurate information on sexual and reproductive health through community mobilisation and awareness campaigns
According to him, the project has also trained 150 healthcare workers and community-based structures on youth-friendly and integrated healthcare service delivery.
Also speaking, the State Team Lead for Jhpiego, Dr. Williams Awotunde, said improving the capacity of frontline healthcare workers remained a central strategy in delivering quality and responsive healthcare services.
“Many women and young people experience different forms of violence, coercion and discrimination that undermine their autonomy and ability to make informed health decisions,” he stated.
“These rights violations reinforce existing inequalities and create additional barriers that prevent affected populations from fully benefiting from available health services.”
He explained that healthcare providers participating in the programme were being trained to adopt a holistic and human-centred approach to patient care.
On the selection of the benefiting local government areas, the Community Engagement Officer of Jhpiego, Gabriel Sharon, said the intervention was structured to ensure equitable representation across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Stakeholders called on governments at all levels to strengthen policies, funding mechanisms and health systems that support integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Communicable Diseases services.
They also urged traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, healthcare providers, civil society groups and media practitioners to sustain advocacy against stigma, discrimination, rights abuses and gender-based violence.
They maintained that stronger collaboration among all actors would be essential to ensuring that vulnerable populations can access quality healthcare services in an environment free from fear, prejudice and exclusion.
