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The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare says it had carried out 1,566 repairs in Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states and the Federal Capital Territory in collaboration with the US Agency for International Development.
This was disclosed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, at the end of a project learning and dissemination workshop for USAID-MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics project, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Represented by the Director, Family Health, FMoH, Dr Binyerem Ukaire, she also said that a fistula pricing model has been developed to improve access to services for survivors through the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Kachollom added that the partnership equally ensured access to safe and surgical obstetric care across the project-implementing facilities.
She identified some of the services as caesarean delivery and peripartum hysterectomy, obstetric and iatrogenic fistula prevention care, female genital cutting prevention and management, as well as gender-based violence.
Kachollom added, “These have contributed to 1,566 fistula repairs feat at the project-supported facilities, including the training of many healthcare workers in surgical obstetrics prevention, treatment of fistula and prevention of female genital cutting.
“This partnership and interventions in these critical areas is saving the lives of women and young girls as well as ensuring their wellbeing.”
The Country Project Manager, USAID-MSSFPO, Dr Kabiru Atta, said apart from the fistula care for over 1,566 clients, the project also ensured that 81 per cent of the clients received rehabilitation and reintegration care.
He also revealed that over 350 health workers across 48 hospitals were trained on fistula care and management, and 60 on the management of complications of female genital mutilation.
Atta added that 1.2 million people were reached with social and behavioural change messages.
He stated, “Before the project came on board, one of the things we identified was that only 17 per cent of fistula clients were actually having access to rehabilitation and restoration services.
“We were able to put in place systems or mechanisms to ensure that after the end of the project today, 81 per cent of fistula clients who now walk into the government hospitals to access service are actually receiving holistic fistula care services.
“They are not only receiving surgeries, but they are also receiving family planning and psychosocial counselling, therapy services, nutritional services, and psychosocial services among others to restore their dignity of life.”
The Project Manager commended all the states, especially Bauchi and Ebonyi for implementing some of the recommendations targeted at reducing maternal/infant mortality and morbidity.
On her part, a USAID official, Ms Suegatha Rennie, noted that the project had contributed significantly to the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity.
She commended the implementing partners and other stakeholders for the overall success of the project recorded so far.
However, Rennie said despite these successes, inflation has continued to affect the cost of inputs for fistula surgery, adding, this requires increased investments by the government and all partners to ensure we eliminate fistula by 2030.”
(NAN)
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