Kwara State is making up efforts to improve healthcare for women and families by bringing several essential services together at selected health facilities.
The move is being supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Jhpiego, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Kwara State Ministry of Health. The Global Fund is supporting the initiative.
The programme is coming at a time when maternal health remains a major concern in Nigeria. The country records 512 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, while only 63 per cent of pregnant women receive antenatal care from a skilled provider.
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV also remains a challenge, contributing to 14 per cent of new HIV infections.
One visit, several health services
Under the “One Visit, Full Care” approach, women in selected local government areas can receive sexual and reproductive health services, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical disease services during the same visit.
The idea is simple: women should not have to make several trips to different health facilities to receive basic services.
According to the health partners, bringing the services together could help reduce missed diagnoses, cut down the time families spend seeking care and improve confidence in the health system.
The initiative also places emphasis on the role of communities and health workers in making the approach work beyond the health facilities.
Abdulrazaq pledges support
During a technical briefing, Kwara State First Lady, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, expressed her support for efforts to improve integrated healthcare services in the state.
Her involvement is expected to help strengthen political support for the programme while encouraging communities to have greater confidence in the services being provided.
The partners stressed that government commitment and community involvement would be important to ensuring that the gains made through the programme are sustained.
More states to join
The integrated healthcare model is not limited to Kwara. Anambra, Ebonyi and Gombe states are also preparing to adopt the approach.
The planned expansion is aimed at making it easier for more women and families to access essential healthcare services without having to navigate different systems for each need.
For Kwara, the focus is on making care more accessible and practical for women, particularly those who may already face barriers in getting regular healthcare.
Share this
