The Ebonyi and Enugu state governments say they are prioritizing improved access to healthcare services, particularly for residents in rural communities.
Health officials from both states made the commitment on Wednesday at a training for South-East and South-South journalists on Sexual and Reproductive Health Solution Journalism.
The training was organized by MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices and Nigeria Health Watch in partnership with the Enugu and Ebonyi Ministries of Health and their Primary Health Care Development Agencies (PHCDAs).
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi PHCDA, Dr Emeka Ovuoba, said Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration had revitalized and equipped 25 primary healthcare centres.
He added that the state was running an inclusive healthcare system to ensure access for all residents, including persons with disabilities.
Ovuoba said general hospitals had been upgraded to improve service delivery, including strengthened manpower to drive reforms in the health sector.
“After education, health is the second major agenda of Nwifuru’s administration. Our general hospitals now have qualified personnel and quality drugs. We are also recruiting ad-hoc workers for primary health centres to boost rural healthcare delivery,” he said.
On reproductive health, he said family planning services were now available at PHCs to help reduce unwanted pregnancies and related complications.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said the state had sustained and maintained existing PHC structures across its wards.
He explained that Governor Peter Mbah’s administration was constructing 260 Type-2 health centres, equipped with essential infrastructure to expand healthcare access.
Ugwu added that secondary and tertiary hospitals were also being upgraded and staffed with the required medical professionals.
“The government is constructing hospitals that meet international standards to provide quality care. The state also has adequate commodities for family planning,” he said.
Earlier, the Director of Media Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, Mr Chibuike Alagboso, said the media had a key role to play in advancing the 2030 family planning goals.
He noted that while religion and culture posed barriers to family planning uptake, journalists could help shift public perception by reporting success stories and highlighting community progress.
The Country Director of MSI Nigeria, Mr Emmanuel Ajah, represented by the Head of Marketing and Communication, Mr Chibuike Utaka, said the training aimed to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report on sexual and reproductive health from an informed and solutions-driven perspective.
“This training will deepen journalists’ experience by taking them into the field to gather firsthand information on sexual and reproductive health services and our interventions. The goal is to increase access and uptake of modern family planning methods across communities,” he said.
He added that the training would equip journalists with techniques for producing impactful solution-focused stories that showcase what is working and the innovations driving progress in reproductive health.
