The Kwara State Government has organised a two-day orientation and capacity building for members of the Steering Committee of the European Union Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH).
The Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, at the programme on Saturday in Ilorin, said it was aimed at building the capacity of the members’ efforts at reducing maternal mortality rates in the state.
El-Imam explained that the program was targeted at helping members understand the scope of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH).
According to her, this is expected to promote health behaviour and reduce maternal and infant death.
“The programme is expected to achieve, potentially, a great reduction in maternal mortality.
“It will also serve as an oversight to the committee members regarding the utilisation of scorecard policy to achieve tangible health outcomes.
“Governmental capacity to coordinate and provide technical oversight for equitable quality services in Kwara will also be strengthened.
“It will also enhance data collection, analysis and the use of data to drive improvements at healthcare facility levels,” she said.
In her remarks, the Kwara EU-SARAH Programme Officer, Dr Kafayat Kofoworola, said the programme aimed to strengthen policy coherence and improve accountability frame work in the state.
According to her, the overall objective is to contribute to sustainable demographic transitional health coverage by supporting gender and adolescent health.
In his presentation, a Consultant Gynaecologist of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), , Prof. Abiodun Adeniran explained that RMNCAH interventions were technologies and key health behaviors which promote health.
Adeniran, speaking on the topic “An Overview of RMNCAH,” said it was a holistic health initiative which spanned the human life from infancy to adulthood.
According to Adeniran, RMNCAH focuses on simple low cost interventions for promotion, prevention and treatment of the most common causes of maternal, newborn, child health and adolescents’ mortality.
Also, the Kwara Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Afolashade Oluwakemi observed that the importance of the training could not be over-emphasised.
She, however, assured of her ministry’s support in the promotion of safe maternal, child and adolescent health.
NAN
