JSI pledges continuous support to Nigeria in public health interventions

By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

JOHN Snow Incorporated,JSI, has pledged continuous support to Nigeria in public health interventions.

The global public health care and health systems consulting firm gave the assurance on Wednesday, during the launch of the Access Collaborative project, one of the interventions in the reproductive health space, focused on the introduction and scale-up of the novel game-changing contraceptive, DMPA-SC, in 12 countries, including Nigeria.

The event saw the launch of the revised Task-shifting, Task-sharing Policy, and SOP, the Demand Generation Strategy on Self-Care for Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health in Nigeria and other important documents relevant to reproductive health.

The Access Collaborative Project is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation while implementing partners are PATH with JSI Research and Training Institute as a sub-grantee.

In a goodwill message at the event, Miranda Buba, In- country lead, Self Care Accelerator Project by John Snow incorporated, explained that through the project, JSI has supported the development and roll-out of the national self-care guideline on SRMH in Nigeria and the demand generation strategy on self-care for Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health, SRMH in Nigeria.

She said,”We are delighted to have the
opportunity to support this epoch-making event of the launch of the revised Task-shifting, Task-sharing Policy, and SOP, the Demand Generation Strategy on Self-Care for Sexual Reproductive and Maternal Health in Nigeria and other important documents relevant to reproductive health.

“The JSI Research and Training Institute is a public health consulting organization with over 40 years of experience in improving and promoting public health across the world.

“In Nigeria, John Snow Incorporated has, for over 20 years, successfully implemented several public health interventions,ranging from supply chain solutions for the country to innovative sexual and reproductive health service delivery programs. The Access Collaborative project is one of such interventions in the reproductive health space, focused on the introduction and scale-up of the novel game-changing contraceptive,
DMPA-SC, in 12 countries, including Nigeria.

“Through this project, JSI has supported the development and roll-out of the national self-care guideline on SRMH in Nigeria and the demand generation strategy
on self-care for SRMH in Nigeria.”

According to her,” With the existing constraints on health systems, both at the national and state levels, the need for innovative health systems-strengthening solutions has become imperative.”

” Self-care interventions build
on existing movements such as task-shifting and task-sharing and provides an opportunity for better,more accessible, participatory, affordable, and quality healthcare. The Self-care demand generation strategy ensures that appropriate health information is available and accessible when it is needed. It
goes further to link the users of self-care interventions with relevant facility or community-based health
services, thereby expanding the quality of care.

“JSI applauds the visionary leadership of the Family Health Department Reproductive of the Federal Ministry of Health, in becoming one of the first countries in Africa to recognize the need to provide local guidance on self-care by adapting the WHO’s self-care guidelines to the Nigerian context,” she added.

She said the organisation has since late in the year 2017, successfully engaged the Federal Ministry of Health, states ministries of health and other officials to integrate the provision of the DMPA-SC into existing programs/structures.

” Over the past six years, the project has supported the Family Health Department to revise the Task Shifting and Task Sharing policy, expand access to DMPA-SC through a range of delivery channels, including
community-based distribution and patent medicine vendors.

“In addition, the AC Project has supported a review of the country’s family planning social and behavioural change (SBC)
materials Since 2020, we have expanded the focus of the project to align with the FMOH’s
direction of introducing and scaling up self-care interventions for sexual, reproductive, and
maternal health (SRMH) by suppoting the development of the National Self-care Guideline, the development of advocacy materials and state-level orientation and dissemination of these materials in 22 states.

“Additionally, the project has supported the development and printing of a demand generation strategy as well as SBC materials for these self-care interventions
Target Audience: National and State level policymakers, program managers, health promotion officers, health workers, donors, and civil society organizations responsible for making decisions related to the delivery or promotion of self-care interventions. Other target audiences include product developers, manufacturers, communities, and all individuals affected by the recommendations in the National Guideline on Self-Care for Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal
Health,”the organisation said.

It further explained that,”The scale up and use of self-care interventions, such as DMPA-SC self-injection, as outlined in the National Guideline on Self-Care for Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health has the potential to boost Nigeria’s modern contraceptive prevalence rate, result in cost-savings and accelerate progress towards achieving universal health coverage Self-care will empower women and men, families, and communities to carry out effective health actions,with or without support from health care providers. “

“The value proposition with self-care and
DMPA-SC self-injection lies in the opportunity to support healthcare systems When fully
introduced, self-care reduces the burden on healthcare providers, limiting their role to
initiating, educating, and supporting individuals who are more empowered to take effective health action.

“This innovation includes interventions that are targeted at safe self-administration of some medicines, self-diagnosis and improvement in health awareness/literacy. Self-care offers a paradigm shift, empowering individuals and communities and saving the bludgeoning healthcare cost. The dwindling health investments and competing public health cost make self-care the solution for the future in Nigeria and many African,”it added.

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