Hacey Health Initiative Raises Alarm Over Limited Awareness About Reproductive Health In Nigeria

A Non-Governmental Organization, Hacey Health Initiative, has raised the alarm over the inadequate awareness about sexual and reproductive health. Hacey equally lamented that over 27,000 maternal deaths occurred yearly among adolescent’s girls in Nigeria.

Its Executive Director of HACEY Health Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, stated this while speaking at a stakeholder’s roundtable meeting in Akure, Ondo state capitol. Robinson noted that sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues posed significant challenges for vulnerable adolescents and young people in the country.

She therefore called on the Federal and state government to support women’s sexual and reproductive health rights.
Robinson also solicited the support of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders towards achieving a sustained Sexual and Reproductive Health Right (SRHR) in the state.

According to her, the “programme with the theme: Building Movements to Sustain Sexual and Reproductive Health and Right Interventions’ was put together to checkmate the high rate of early pregnancies among adolescents. “This programme is to check increasing HIV infection among adolescents and young people, to curb unhealthy sexual behavior and gender norms and give access to SRHR information and services.”

This became necessary to give access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, promote healthy behaviors among adolescents and youth and addressing SRHR issues to achieve broader development goals. Robinson emphasized that “vulnerable AYPs in the project communities, due to lack of access to essential sexual and reproductive health information and resources are predisposed to challenges such as unintended pregnancies, inadequate antenatal care, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and cervical cancer.

The new project kicked off some six months ago and is being undertaken in five South West states of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Lagos and Ekiti to ensure effective SRHR interventions in the states in the interest of the society especially the female adolescents. According to her “some of the strategies to be employed to ensure success of the project include, advocacy, capacity building, partnership and collaboration, community engagement and access to media tools.

The Executive Director said that stakeholders, especially community leaders and religious leaders have a vital role to play by acting as advocates and influencers within their community, promoting SRHR awareness and acceptance.They are also expected to provide moral and ethical guidance on SRHR issues and foster dialogue and collaboration between different community groups to address SRHR needs comprehensively.

Source: Vanguard