Kwara Commissions Six Youth-Friendly Centres to Improve Access to SRHR Services

The Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA) has commissioned six Youth-Friendly Centres across three Local Government Areas of the state, aimed at improving adolescents’ and young people’s access to confidential, integrated and person-centred sexual and reproductive health services.

The centres, implemented by Jhpiego with funding support from the Global Fund, were commissioned on Thursday, by the Executive Secretary of KWSPHCDA, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, at the Ogele Primary Health Centre in Asa Local Government Area.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Prof. Elelu applauded Jhpiego for the impressive initiative, noting that adolescents have always constituted a significant component of several health interventions, describing the establishment of the youth-friendly centres as a welcome development that would further strengthen access to appropriate health information and services for young people.

The Executive Secretary called on other development partners to emulate the initiative and explore additional interventions that would improve the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people across the state.

Prof. Elelu also commended the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for the impressive strides recorded in the health sector, particularly in creating an enabling environment for development partners to operate effectively in the state.

She recalled that at the inception of the present administration, there was limited presence of development partners in the state, noting that the situation had significantly changed due to the enabling environment created by the government and its commitment to the prompt payment of counterpart funds.

According to her, the improved partnership landscape has not only encouraged existing partners to return to the state but has also attracted new development partners to support the government’s efforts in strengthening healthcare delivery.

The Executive Secretary urged the benefiting communities to make proper use of the facilities, noting that trained health professionals had been deployed to provide the required services. 

She also appealed to the communities to protect and safeguard the facilities to ensure their sustainability and continued benefit to young people.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Asa Local Government, Alh Shehu Amasa Yahaya welcomed guests to the commissioning and expressed appreciation for what he described as a timely initiative.

He encouraged young people in the community to take advantage of the services available at the centres, assuring that the Local Government would support and protect the facilities to ensure they continue to serve their intended purpose.

Speaking on behalf of Jhpiego, the State Team Lead and SRHR Coordinator for Jhpiego, Mr Williams Awotunde, said the project specifically prioritises adolescents and young people and seeks to strengthen their access to integrated, person-centred sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and communicable disease services.

He explained that the youth-friendly centres were designed to provide a confidential and safe environment where adolescents and young people could seek informed advice, access appropriate services and discuss their concerns without fear of exposure, stigma or judgement.

Mr Awotunde disclosed that the six centres are located at OJomu PHC, Lamodi PHC and Nawairudeen PHC in Offa Local Government Area; Ogele PHC and Otte PHC in Asa Local Government Area; and Oloru PHC in Moro Local Government Area.

He urged members of the benefiting communities to utilise the facilities appropriately and take ownership of them by protecting the infrastructure and ensuring that they remain available for young people who need the services.

In his remarks, the Aare of Ogele, Alhaji Kajola Abubakar Akanbi expressed appreciation for the initiative, describing the establishment of the centre as a welcome development for the community. 

He urged adolescents and young people to make meaningful use of the resources provided and encouraged the community to safeguard the facility.

Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in their separate goodwill messages, also underscored the importance of youth-friendly facilities in supporting young people to make informed decisions about their health and future.

They noted that beyond providing access to health services, the centres would offer adolescents and young people a safe avenue to seek advice, discuss their challenges and receive the guidance they need as they navigate important stages of their lives.

The commissioning ceremony was well attended by the Executive Chairman of Asa Local Government, the Aare of Ogele, members of the Asa Local Government Council, State Coordinator of WHO and representative of UNICEF, Directors and State Programme Officers of KWSPHCDA, the Head of Department of Health, Asa Local Government, health workers, youths and other members of the public.

The initiative is part of the Advancing Integrated Health Services Delivery for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Communicable Diseases (CD) in Nigeria project, supported under the Global Fund GC7 Grant Cycle through National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP). 

The project focuses, among other priorities, on adolescents and young people and seeks to strengthen integrated SRHR and communicable disease services through improved health systems, healthcare worker capacity, referral linkages and community engagement.

Bukola Abdulganiyu,

Press Secretary 

KWSPHCDA

07069144440