The Ekiti State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to comprehensive reproductive health services for women and girls across the state.
The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, gave the reassurance in Ado Ekiti on Monday during the closing ceremony of a five-day training programme for healthcare providers organised in partnership with a group, Onelife Initiative.
Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said that training and retraining of health workers remained a key strategy of the state government to improve health indices and achieve Universal Health Coverage.
“The collaboration is aimed at strengthening service delivery and ensuring that women have access to information and quality services to make informed decisions about their health.
“As a government, we believe no woman should die or suffer complications from preventable reproductive health issues.
“By equipping our health workers and expanding access to information and services, we are building a healthier Ekiti where every woman can make informed choices about her body and her future,” he said.
Filani said that the Biodun Oyebanji administration remained committed to ensuring that every woman, irrespective of age, location or background, had access to accurate information, quality services and respectful care.
Earlier, the Director of Public Health, Dr Abayomi Ibrahim, said the training brought together doctors, nurses and pharmacists drawn from various levels of healthcare delivery across the state.
He said the participants were trained on the latest methods, tools and drug supplies for delivering reproductive health services.
The Executive Director of Onelife Initiative, Mr Sola Fagorusi, applauded the state government for its political will and pledged the organisation’s continued collaboration to scale up the programme across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Fagorusi said, “The training was designed to equip healthcare providers with updated knowledge, skills and counselling techniques to deliver comprehensive, rights-based and non-judgmental reproductive health services”.
He said that the training would also contribute to preventing maternal deaths associated with unsafe abortions.
The Ekiti State Adolescent Health Officer, Mrs Tolulope Adewemimo, who spoke on behalf of the participants, thanked the state government and Onelife Initiative for the training, saying, “The knowledge acquired will enhance service delivery and improve client satisfaction across health facilities in the state”.
