By Magnus Emuji
Community Based Organisations under a civil society organization on Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) have been advised to establish health committee that would interface between the community and the facilities.
The State Programme Officer, ACOMIN, Sir Austen Uwede stated this in Asaba during the October monthly coordination meeting with CBOs and various partners.
Uwede said that such health committee would serve as one of the plans for sustainability of the project in the community, stressing that there was always the need for CBOs to enlighten the community to own the facilities.
He reminded them that quality reports were of great necessity because it will determine policy output and outcome.
Sir Uwede urged the CBOs to be properly guided by the template for reporting, adding that they should adhere to the timeline for submission of their reports.
Earlier, the State Chairman of ACOMIN, Pastor Greg Sifo emphasised the need for community ownership of the health facilities and told the CBOs to continue to show more commitment to responsibility for the success of the project.
In their separate remarks, some partners including the State Malaria Programme Manager Dr.(Mrs.), Julie Aniah, the Director of Partnership and Policy Control, State Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS, Mrs. Grace Sifo , Mrs. Okanime Ochuko from Delta State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Policy Advisor Society for Family Health, Mrs. Mercy Momoh and the Imam of the Central Mosque, Asaba, Dr. Adekola Yinusa harped on the need for sustainability of the project just as they lauded the CBOs for also providing the state government with areas in the health facilities that required urgent attention and observed that the collaboration was yielding positive result.
Dr. Aniah stated that ACOMIN and its CBOs had contributed immensely towards the success recorded in eliminating malaria in the state.
Speaking further, Mrs. Grace Sifo , who disclosed that HIV test kits for pregnant women were available for distribution in the state, informed the CBOs that they should be part of the World HIV Day Celebration.
Dr. Adekola also hinted on how the Muslim community in Cable Point, Asaba we're contributing funds to repair the ceiling at the Primary Health Care Center, Cable Point Asaba, which he clarified was as a result of advocacy done by a resident.
He encouraged CBOs to do more outreach programmes in the Mosque, saying that it was yielding positive results.
At the end of the deliberations everyone agreed that emphasis should be on community ownership, so that when donors support stops, there would not be any negative gap in the healthcare service delivery in the state and country at large.
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