The European Union (EU) has announced plans to expand its support for reproductive and adolescent health services in Kwara State under the European Union Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) programme.
Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, disclosed this during an assessment visit to health facilities and communities benefiting from the programme in Kwara.
De Luca said the EU-SARAH programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was designed to support government efforts rather than take over its responsibilities.
He said the success of the programme depended largely on government commitment and leadership, noting that the EU could only provide effective support where the government was willing to lead.
“We are here to support the government. We are not replacing government. If government is not moving, we cannot move,” he said.
According to him, the EU-SARAH programme is being implemented in three states — Kwara, Sokoto and Adamawa — with the needs and circumstances differing across the states.
He, however, described Kwara as being in a privileged position because of the access the programme has enjoyed at the grassroots, including engagement with volunteers, civil society organisations and communities.
De Luca commended the state government for prioritising health, particularly issues affecting mothers and children, saying the commitment had created a strong synergy between the government and development partners.
He also praised UNICEF, UNFPA and other implementing partners for their efforts in reaching adolescents with services covering prenatal and postnatal care, family planning and other reproductive health needs.
The EU official said the programme was particularly important because health challenges among adolescents could affect their education and future lives if not properly addressed.
He explained that some adolescents facing health challenges could drop out of school, become vulnerable to difficult circumstances or even lose their lives.
De Luca urged communities to pay attention to how adolescents were being catered for at primary healthcare centres, including whether they had access to the necessary assistance, commodities and opportunities.
He also highlighted the flexibility of the programme in responding to emergencies, noting that adolescents affected by attacks recorded in some communities in February were able to receive support through the intervention.
The EU delegation, he added, was already looking at expanding its support for the programme in Kwara, Sokoto and Adamawa, in collaboration with the Federal Government.
Speaking on the impact of the programme in Kwara, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, described EU-SARAH as a major partnership for the state.
El-Imam said the programme had improved the capacity of health workers, increased demand for family planning services and strengthened awareness among communities on reproductive and sexual health.
She said visits to health facilities and communities had shown that the intervention was contributing to changes in the way residents accessed healthcare.
The Commissioner also stressed the importance of male involvement in family planning, saying increased support from men had helped women access services without having to seek them secretly.
She urged women to continue carrying their spouses along in decisions concerning family planning, while calling on men to sustain their support.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) in the Balogun Fulani community visited by the delegation, Alhaji Ibrahim Saka Balogun, said the intervention had brought significant changes to the community.
Balogun said the programme had created greater awareness about the importance of using healthcare facilities, particularly for antenatal care and childbirth.
According to him, residents who previously relied on home deliveries and traditional health practitioners were increasingly encouraged to seek professional medical care.
He added that the intervention had also supported community awareness on child abuse, gender-based violence, rape and other social problems affecting children and adolescents.
He said the proximity of the primary healthcare facility had further encouraged pregnant women to seek medical attention, as the facility was easily accessible to residents.
The WDC Chairman expressed appreciation to the European Union and other development partners for bringing the intervention to the community, saying its impact could be seen in the lives of residents.
The EU-SARAH programme is aimed at strengthening access to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services in Kwara, Sokoto and Adamawa states. The initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented with technical support from UNICEF and UNFPA.
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