The Institute of Social Works of Nigeria (ISOWN) says it is collaborating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide professional services on fistula care and rehabilitation across the federation.
Mr Yakubu Oni, MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics (MSSFPO) Project Director, said this at the inauguration workshop of the project tagged “Strengthening Rehabilitation and Reintegration services’’ in Abuja. Virginal fistula is an unusual opening that connects the Virginal to another organ such as the bladder, colon or rectum.
Oni said that Obstetric fistula remained a threat to the girl-child and every woman with statistics showing an increasing numbers in cases recorded in spite of tremendous effort of the Federal and State Governments.
Oni said the USAID-funded project would be implemented by ISOWN in five states: Ebonyi, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi and FCT in the first phase.
According to him, ISOWN is expected to provide social work services on the project which includes strengthening rehabilitation and reintegration services, being crucial aspects of the programme.
He described rehabilitation and reintegration services as critical factors that determine holistic intervention in obstetric fistula issues in the country.
Mr Michael Aniekan, the Project Manager, said the event was an engagement with key stakeholders to carry out skill training sessions to achieve status quo analysis on personnel perspective of strengthening rehabilitation and reintegration in identified facilities.
He added that it was for stakeholders from Federal and State Governments ready to drum support for women and young girls faced with fistula cases with readiness to engage society at different states mapped for intervention.
Dr Kabiru Atta, USAID Country Representative, Engender Health, and Project Manager of MSSFPO project as well as a lead partner, lauded the institute for the synergy.
He, however, urged field officers to stay on the tenets of professionalism in ensuring they delivered on the set mandates geared toward ending obstetric fistula in Nigeria.
Atta, who affirmed the project had a duration of five years, listed its objective as to ensure that women and girls had access to safe and appropriate caesarian session.
Minister of State for Health Adeleke Mamora urged stakeholders from both Federal and States to support every efforts in addressing the rate of fistula cases in the country.
Mamora, represented by Dr Salma Ibrahim, Director, Family Health in the ministry, said “an average of 3.2 persons per 1,000 from our population is faced with fistula annually.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
