By Joe-Praise Idoma
Churches, markets and other community gathering points across Ebonyi State have become platforms for health education and awareness as the Daughters of Virtue and Empowerment Initiative (DOVENET) intensifies efforts to expand access to integrated sexual and reproductive health rights and communicable disease (SRHR-CD) services.
The initiative, implemented in partnership with Jhpiego and the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), is supported by the Global Fund under the Advancing Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Communicable Diseases project.
Speaking during a media engagement in Abakaliki, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of DOVENET, Mr. Peter Ewa, disclosed that community champions had conducted 38 sensitisation activities across selected communities, reaching no fewer than 2,017 residents with vital health information and referral services.
According to Ewa, the outreach activities were integrated into the National Primary Health Care Development Agency’s Child Health Week and the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to maximise impact and increase access to essential healthcare services.
He said parents, caregivers, adolescents and other community members were sensitised on the importance of routine childhood immunisation, HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, family planning, adolescent-friendly health services, sexually transmitted infection prevention and treatment, syphilis screening and other comprehensive care services.
Ewa noted that the campaign promotes the “One Visit, Multiple Services” approach, which encourages residents to access a range of healthcare services during a single visit to health facilities.
He explained that DOVENET adopted a community-led model by training local volunteers and Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to drive awareness campaigns and strengthen accountability within primary healthcare centres.
“The activities are community-owned because development partners will not be there forever. We need communities to take ownership and ensure accountability,” Ewa said.
“The community members have started leading activities on their own by going to churches, markets and other social gatherings to educate residents on sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and child protection.”
He said the project is currently being implemented in one local government area in each of the three senatorial zones of Ebonyi State.
According to him, the intervention covers Ebonyi Local Government Area in Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, Ezza South Local Government Area in Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone and Afikpo North Local Government Area in Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone.
Ewa said the programme seeks to bridge the gap between health facilities and communities by creating awareness about free healthcare services available at primary healthcare centres.
He added that the initiative had introduced community referral cards to improve documentation, track service uptake and strengthen referral systems across participating health facilities.
“We keep training and retraining community volunteers, harmonising messages and supervising activities to ensure that accurate information is shared with residents,” he said.
Ewa urged journalists and media organisations to support the campaign by amplifying messages on sexual and reproductive health rights and encouraging residents to utilise available services.
“The media has a critical role to play in helping communities understand that sexual and reproductive health services are their rights and that many of these services are available free of charge at nearby health facilities,” he said.
