Mrs. Remi Bajomo, representative of The Director and Head of Department, Family Health , Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Stella Nwosu, addressing stakeholders in Maidugiri
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Director and Head of Department, Family Health , Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Stella Nwosu has called on stakeholders, states and local governments, individuals, families and groups to endeavour to have adequate information and knowledge of self care guidelines and healthcare facilities around them.
Dr Nwosu also advised people to have access to the primary and secondary healthcare facilities for proper and improve health instead of engaging in self medication.
She stated this on Tuesday in Miaduguri while declaring open a one day meeting on the Orientation and Dissemination of the National Guidelines on Self Care for Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health in Borno State.
Dr. Nwosu, who was represented by the Director, Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Remi Bajomo, said the meeting was to disseminate the National Guideline on Self-care for Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health (SRMH) in Nigeria as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Stella also reiterated that Self-care is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health care provider, stressing that, Self-care has become more important with the rapidly growing population of Nigeria and the consequent pressure on the limited conventional healthcare facilities.
She recalled that during the early stages of COVID-19 pandemic, the limitation of conventional health services was made more obvious with the disruption of health service delivery in some health facilities, Self-care intervention through Community pharmacy and PPMVs were helpful to sustain health services.
She further noted that: “self-care aims to reduce unnecessary over dependence on health facilities for services which individuals or families could provide for themselves. It is an integral and complementary component of the overall health care system.
“Self-Care to the Health System has enormous benefits such as reduced workload on health care workers and increased access to sexual and reproductive health services in a safe and private space leveraging innovations and digital platforms to access or deliver safe and appropriate health care services.
She further said that the Federal Ministry of Health and Partners have developed the Demand Generation Strategy for Self-care interventions to create awareness and change the social perception and behaviour around self-care interventions while a monitoring and evaluation framework has been developed to monitor the progress of the implementation of self-care intervention in Nigeria.
The director also commended development partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), John Snow Incorporated, White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Pathfinder International, and Society for Family Health amongst others for their collaboration with the ministry.
Earlier, the Borno State Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharmacy Aliyu Atabo, inaugurated the Borno State Network on Self Care Guidelines Planing and Implementation Committee on behalf of the Borno State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Mallam Gana .
He charged the network members to promote access to healthcare facilities, ensure quality and affordable self care products and services in public and private health facilities across the state and Nigeria at large
He also urged them to dedicate themselves to the mandate and be accountable as well responsible in terms of discharging their duties as critical stakeholders and advocates of public health .
The Country Program and Advocacy Manager, The White RIBBON Nigeria, Jennifer Adebambo in her remarks said ,”Together, we can create a world where every individual has the knowledge and resources to make informed choices about their health”.
“This meeting signifies our commitment to ensuring that the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is achieved through Self-Care adoptions and interventions in Borno State. Since the domestication of the National Self-Care Guidelines for Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health in 2019 by the Federal Ministry of health with support from WRA Nigeria and other partners, WRA Nigeria has supported the Federal Ministry of Health in coordinating a National network of self-care partners who promote self-care.
“As part of our mandate to promote self-care in Nigeria, White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria in collaboration with International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Federal Ministry of Health has convened the Self-Care Advocacy Network (SAN) with the aim of bringing together key state actors across CSOs, professional groups, and other key organizations with roles that promote self-care in Borno State.
“Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental aspect of our lives, influencing not only our physical well-being but also our emotional and social experiences. Maternal health, in particular, is a topic that touches us all, as it is integral to the well-being of mothers and the future generations they bring into this world.
“In many ways, this orientation meeting is an opportunity to equip ourselves with knowledge and understanding that can transform lives. It’s about ensuring that every individual, regardless of their gender, age, or background, has the tools and information needed to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health”, she said.
