WHO, MOH sensitize health workers on prevention, response to sexual exploitation, abuse/ Gender based violence.

— urges health workers to identify signs of sexual exploitation.

Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

A one day sensitization workshop on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Harassment (PRSEAH) including Gender Based Violence (GBV) has ended in Abakaliki with a call on health workers to identify signs of sexual exploitation and abuse to enable victims open up to them.

The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Ogbonna Nwambeke made the call while addressing participants in a workshop organized by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health have held
at Ochudo Centenary City Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Dr. Nwambeke who noted that both males and females suffer abuse, advised them to instill confidence in the victims by providing the necessary knowledge that would help them to report using appropriate channels that exist in the State

On his part, the WHO Surveillance Officer, Dr. Danladi Ndahi enjoined participants to pay attention to the training so as to know how to find out cases of rape and how to go about it.

In a lecture titled ‘Prevention of and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Harassment (PRSEAH), the WHO PRSEAH Focal Person, Dr. Joseph Iruka gave illustrations of sexual harassment and urged people to avoid closeness or gestures that would cause Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) anywhere they find themselves adding that such actions if established are punishable under the law.

Dr. Iruka explained the roles and responsibilities of Government, managers and health workers to protect people from sexual harassment.

In another lecture titled ‘understanding Gender Based Violence (GBV) and (SEAH), the Deputy Coordinator GBV Response Team, Rev. Dr. Flora Egwu described gender based violence as any harmful act perpetrated against a person irrespective of gender and encouraged both men and women involved to report to the appropriate quarters for necessary action.

She maintained that the issue of GBV is everybody’s duty and called for immediate attention to survivors whenever there is information to avoid suicidal or ugly outcomes. According to her. “if you see something, say something and do something”.

Giving a vote of thanks, the former Executive Secretary, Ebonyi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mrs. Barry Okoh extolled the Hon. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, the WHO and the Epidemiology Unit for organizing the programme pointing out that it has increased their knowledge and promised that they would practice what they learnt.