NURHI Tasks Health Journalists to Keep Passion for Health Reporting Burning in Interest of Society
By Habila Victor, Kaduna
Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), has tasked the Health4All Media Initiative (HAMI), to keep their passion for health reporting burning in the interest of the larger society.
NURHI Senior Technical Advisor, Mrs Charity Ibeawuchi, gave the charge in Kaduna on Tuesday when she and her team visited the forum to know their level of preparedness in the sustainability of Family Planning Advocacy.
According to her, there is need for the media forum to keep alive the passion to set agenda around health issues in Kaduna, especially, that of family planning.
She reminded the members of the health media forum to always remember the larger society as they go about their news gathering, processing and presentation.
The discussions during the visit were centered around update from HAMI’s activities, challenges, sustainability and innovative continuity vision and next steps.
Speaking specifically on family planning, the NURHI Senior Technical Advisor, NURHI II, Mrs Charity Ibeawuchi said, the use of family planning was not compulsory, but it remained the right of every person that want the service and government must make it available.
She was very careful on the use of modern family planning methods for some minors. She said, anyone below the age of 18 that wishes to access the service, should be given life skill which will help such see the future. But where such fails, then, the minor should come with his or her parents.
Mrs Charity also reminded the forum the need to intensify campaign for more men to buy-in the family planning idea by way of following or taking their women to approved government clinics and primary health care centers for counseling and use of the suitable method which may be natural, traditional or modern.
“We are happy that you guys are still together up till now. That is what we want. We want sustainability of the campaign in the interest of our people.
“NURHI II project has not ‘ended’ but there is no fund for any programme in Kaduna anymore. We are on transition now. We are here in Kaduna to meet with our critical stakeholders which media is one.
“We want to see how we can ensure sustainability of the existing platform to see how issues around the FP can be on for a long time even when development partners withdraw their services in the state,” she said.
In her response, Chairman, HAMI, Jacqueline Adebija, restated the commitment of members of the forum to continuously create discussions and set agenda around health issues in Kaduna state with a view to have improved health service demands and supplies across board.
She thanked the team for the visit just as she promised renewal efforts to use available media platforms to reach out to target audience.
NURHI II project wind up a few months ago and now operating on transition window. What that means is that, the project team can only support its stakeholders by way of encouragement but, no fund for any activities any further, yet, looking at sustainability as key reason for the visit.
