Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA) has assured that more efforts will be made in the year 2023 to ensure that women especially pregnant women and children under 5 years got adequate, accessible and quality services across the PHCs in the state.
The assurance was made by the Executive Chairman of the Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed while speaking to Journalists on the proposed 2023 budget of the agency in his office on Thursday.
He said that efforts will be made to ensure that the achievements recorded in 2022 year were built on and even surpassed in the 2023 year which, though an election year, will witness more focused attention on healthcare delivery services.
Rilwanu Mohammed stressed that the Agency will closely monitor the personnel manning all the PHCs to ensure that they gave clients the required professional attention.
He assured that the objectives of the Agency are to reduce to the barest minimum, maternal morbidity rate, improve access to healthcare services, antenatal and postnatal services as well as neonatal activities.
He then commended USAID-IHP, UNICEF, WHO, and other development partners for their support to the state in its resolve to provide effective and affordable access to quality healthcare service delivery.
In the same vein, it has been stressed that for women, the ability to be equipped with the information and tools to manage their sexual and reproductive health needs in the comfort of their homes is a key means of promoting health and family well-being.
This is especially true in hard-to-reach communities where access to health facilities and health information is scarce.
The assertion is contained in an advocacy message titled ‘Care in your community’ by an NGO, ‘The White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria’ (WRAN) which is a part of the National Self-care Network and a major promoter of self-care in Bauchi state.
It however stated that with the use of self-care, anyone can determine their current health status even for HIV and Malaria.
According to WRAN, Self – Care products cover the following and more: For contraception stating that for women that have been prescribed to take injectable contraceptives there is now no need to go to the hospital every three months.
It added that Self-care products cover Pre & Post pregnancy kits, Ovulation prediction kits (OPK), Male/Female Condoms, Home-based Pregnancy test kits, Family planning, and others.
The NGO further stated that for instant health status checks; one can also conduct Malaria, and HIV preliminary self-testing at home too as the Self-care products are now available in pharmacies and PHCs across the State.
It then reminded people that, “Remember: Self-care is an informed approach to using home remedies as part of a health plan as prescribed by a qualified healthcare provider – this is entirely different from taking self-prescribed medications, which is usually done without consulting a qualified healthcare provider. Self -prescription is very risky and can lead to serious medical complications and even death”.
Recall that earlier in 2022, the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with other partners developed the National Self-care Guidelines on Self-Care for Sexual Reproductive and maternal health 2020, which was followed by its launch in 2022.
The guideline includes guidance for self-care interventions, and their sub-National level adoption in Nigeria.
Self-care is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote their well-being, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.
Caring for oneself includes three major areas, which are: Self – Management, Self – Testing, and Self–Awareness, these care options put healthcare in the hands of the people who need it the most.
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