The need for collaboration among the major healthcare stakeholders towards strengthening Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, SRHR, for women and adolescent girls in Anambra State, formed the crux of discussions at a one–day high-level roundtable meeting with policy makers on the progress of SRHR 2020-2025 in Anambra State.
The program was organized by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, under the project ‘Changing the Law, Changing Lives,’ supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), in partnership with the State Ministry of Health.
It is focused on promoting awareness and accountability in the implementation of SRHR policies and programs, across seven states namely, Gombe, Jigawa, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, and Anambra.
The meeting brought together policy makers, including government representatives, healthcare professionals, civil society partners, observatory groups, academia, the media and development partners, to review the findings of an SRHR exploratory research, reflect on progress made, identify gaps, and develop action plan for the future.
In a welcome remarks, the WARDC Founding Director, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, represented by Jennifer Nwokedike, said the program aims to enhance accountability at both state and federal levels for access to SRHR services and to ensure effective implementation of the STOP Guideline through stronger legal frameworks, including the passage of a law.
Akiyode-Afolabi also stated that the meeting aims to expand awareness of SRHR among adolescent girls through social media campaigns, community platforms, and learning hubs, and to build advocacy that supports ongoing SRHR litigation in Nigeria.
“The ultimate goal is to reduce maternal mortality, expand access to quality SRHR services, and guarantee that the rights of women and girls are respected, protected, and fulfilled,” she posited.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike applauded the initiative to seek a multi-stakeholder approach towards reinforcing SRHR in the state, noting government alone cannot do the job, and requires the partnership of the Civil Society Organizations to give life to the numerous legislations the state has passed to protect SRHR of women and girls.
He noted that the Chukwuma Soludo administration has taken giant strides to reduce maternal mortality in the state, some of which included the launch of the Patients’ Bill of Rights, PBoR, the introduction of free antenatal and delivery services in all public health facilities, and the introduction of free Cervical Cancer vaccines, among others.
“We, as a government, acknowledge that there are challenges still, and going back from this meeting, the government will begin to look at the issues raised, with a view to finding the solutions to them.
“We agree that every sexually-active woman should be allowed access to the sexual and reproductive health rights, the options available, so that she can make the right choice about her health and body,” he said.
For the Director of Public Health in the State Ministry of Health, there is considerable hope for women, as the meeting indicates that stakeholders such as the WARDC and GAC are beginning to take an interest in strengthening women’s reproductive health.
In a presentation, a representative of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, SOGON, observed that if the key findings from different groups who had gone into different parts of the state to identify the gaps in providing SRHR to women are addressed, Anambra will become a model for other states to learn from in SRHR.
She said the SOGON is committed to bettering the health of women, and protecting their rights, while providing the highest form of possible physical, mental and reproductive healthcare, to ensure positive outcomes and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the country.
In their separate remarks, a Senior Program Officer, Peace Etugbo, and the State Coordinator of WARDC, Eucheria Onyemobi emphasized the importance of such review meetings, stressing the need for such meetings to be held regularly, to evaluate interventions and maximize impact.
The stakeholders at the meeting resolved to step up the meeting, deepen sensitization on SRHR, harmonize efforts between CSOs and the government to reach the people at the grassroots, and ensure adequate inclusion of the disability community in the SRHR sensitization efforts, among other objectives.
