USAID/IHP partners Media Practitioners on effective Health Governance Reporting

USAID/IHP partners Media Practitioners on a 3-Day Workshop on  Health Governance Reporting in addition to the Agency various Health interventions in Ebonyi State ,geared towards curbing Maternal Mortality /Morbidity -Clement Nnachi reports

USAID /Integrated Health Programme (IHP) Ebonyi State recently organized a 3-Day Capacity Building Workshop for Editors and Reporters on Health Governance Reporting .
The Workshop supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Ministry of Health with  Participants drawn from different media organizations in the country cutting across print, electronics , New Media respectively.

The Training focused on orienting participants on health sector reporting ,identified key issues around health sector governance with particular reference to understanding the systematic ways of reporting identified issues .

The objectives of the workshop included to deepen Journalists understanding and improve media coverage of health issues  especially the Thematic Areas of IHP interventions including health finance, Maternal Health,Newborn Health, Child Health, Reproductive Health, Family Planning ,Nutrition and Malaria .

Other focus of the training include to promote USAID/IHP intervention areas, help in the Change of Attitude and behavior of audience for achieving better health in addition  to re-focusing media reporters attention to Health Service Delivery Points at the lowest level and build their capacity as advocates for service improvements.

Moreover, USAID/IHP  called on Ebonyi State Government to  provide a Dedicated Toll-Free Line to improve Health Services and reduce Maternal deaths.

This were part of the Key Points reached during the 3–Day Capacity Building Workshop for Media Editors and Reporters on Health Governance Reporting held at Focus Hotel Afikpo Ebonyi State.

Speaking on the occasion, the IHP Monitoring and Evaluation Health Management Information System Specialist Mr Kingsley Otueze, said  the purpose of the Toll-Free Line was to ensure continuous effective health services ,even after the conclusion of the Agency programmes in the State.

Mr Otueze called on the public to make use of the services stating that USAID/IHP provided a temporary Digital Health Line Service that can be assessed with MTN, Airtel and Glo Network

He gave the Dedicated Numbers as MTN 08135840336, Airtel Number was given to be 321, while Ebonyi State Code for Airtel was 20 respectively.

Earlier, the State Director of USAID/IHP Dr Gladys Olisaeke, explained that the Workshop was organized to promote intervention areas of USAID in Ebonyi State to help change the attitude towards achieving better health .

“Enhancing the capacity of Journalists in health governance reportage would deepen the campaign for effective utilization of Primary Health Care Centers in various communities in the State.”

“IHP was supporting no fewer than 212 Primary Health Care Centers ,in 2021 we donated medical equipments worth millions of naira to Ebonyi Government to boost Basic health care provision ”

According to her, USAID/IHP has trained over 800 Health Workers to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) services in Ebonyi State .The Goal of the initiative was to contribute to the reduction of Maternal Mortality /Morbidity, Child Mortality, in addition to  strengthen the provision of quality Primary Health Care Services.

“Our intervention in the State has three main objective namely to strengthen Primary Health Care Services, improve access to PHC services, and improve the quality of PHC Services ”

Dr Olisaeke  said that USAID/IHP has introduced Active Defaulter Tracking of Pregnant Women  in Ebonyi State to ensure that they give birth in equipped Health Facilities after ante -natal services .

This has reduced the number of women who patronized quacks and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), to give birth to their babies which has led to high maternal morbidity and child mortality in the State.

Journalists were trained on techniques for identifying issues on Health Financing, Maternal Newborn and Child Health , Reproductive Health ,Family Planning , Malaria and Nutrition with Gender dimension .

In a Lecture titled “Gender Engagement and Social Inclusion (GESI/Media, Mrs Emilia said that USAID portfolio of Development and Health Activities reflected in an increasing number of official policies that require attention to Gender in in USAID projects.

“In March 2012, USAID released the “Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy to guide the work of the Agency and its implementing Partners in integrating gender at all steps of the development process”

“increased capability  of women and girls to realize their Rights, determine their life outcomes and influence decision making in households ,communities and societies”

In a remark, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists Ebonyi State Chapter Comrade Tony Nwizi, commended USAID/IHP for initiating the Programme stating that it would enhance the Editorial Policy of Media Organizations on Reproductive Maternal cNewborn Child Health , Nutrition and Malaria

In conclusion, the workshop availed opportunity for reporters to share experiences after visitations /facility tour of MDG Health Centers and IHP intervened Health Facilities  in Afikpo, in order to deepen participants knowledge on Health Sector best practices.

The Workshop on emphasized the need for Media coverage on health issues what’s the media perspective of Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health, Nutrition and Malaria (RMNCH+NM coupled with the need for Journalists to be monitoring IHP Facilities

Also ,how do the media plan to disseminate information on RMNCH+NM issues , and the various approaches mass media can use to promote health care services and what the media want to share

Besides,USAID/IHP updated Media Practitioners on “Open Maternity and PHC Extension Services in addition to integrated reporters to IHP Activities in the State since the commencement of its activities in 2018.

The impact of result of IHP interventions in Health sector ,the sensitization and awareness creation of the citizenry to access Maternal and Child Health Services by Women and Children .