Kwara Organizes Capacity Building for EU-SARAH Steering Committee

The Kwara Government has organized a two-day orientation and capacity building for members of the Steering Committee of the European Union Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH).

Dr. Amina El-Imam, Kwara Commissioner for Health, at the program on Saturday in Ilorin, said it was aimed at building the capacity of the members’ efforts at reducing maternal mortality rates in the state.

El-Imam explained that the program was targeted at helping members understand the scope of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH).

According to her, this is expected to promote healthy behavior and reduce maternal and infant death.

“The program is expected to achieve, potentially, a great reduction in maternal mortality.

“It will also serve as an oversight to the committee members regarding the utilization of scorecard policy to achieve tangible health outcomes.

“Governmental capacity to coordinate and provide technical oversight for equitable quality services in Kwara will also be strengthened.

“It will also enhance data collection, analysis, and the use of data to drive improvements at healthcare facility levels,” she said.

In her remarks, the Kwara EU-SARAH Programme Officer, Dr. Kafayat Kofoworola, said the program aimed to strengthen policy coherence and improve the accountability frame work in the state.

According to her, the overall objective is to contribute to sustainable demographic transitional health coverage by supporting gender and adolescent health.

In his presentation, Prof. Abiodun Adeniran, a Consultant Gynaecologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), explained that RMNCAH interventions were technologies and key health behaviors that promote health.

Adeniran, speaking on the topic “An Overview of RMNCAH,” said it was a holistic health initiative that spanned human life from infancy to adulthood.

According to Adeniran, RMNCAH focuses on simple, low-cost interventions for the promotion, prevention, and treatment of the most common causes of maternal, newborn, child health, and adolescent mortality.

Also, Mrs. Afolashade Oluwakemi, Kwara Commissioner for Women Affairs, observed that the importance of the training could not be over-emphasized.

She, however, assured of her ministry’s support in the promotion of safe maternal, child, and adolescent health.

(NAN)