Health Policy Project: Celebrating partnership

The participants gathered in small groups, exchanging pleasantries and networking. I met Kaja Jurczynska of HPP to discuss logistics. The event was an experience sharing activity organised by the Health Policy Project HPP to mark the end of its five-year project. HPP’s slogan ‘Empowered People Creating Lasting Change’ says a lot about the work it […]

The participants gathered in small groups, exchanging pleasantries and networking. I met Kaja Jurczynska of HPP to discuss logistics. The event was an experience sharing activity organised by the Health Policy Project HPP to mark the end of its five-year project. HPP’s slogan ‘Empowered People Creating Lasting Change’ says a lot about the work it has been doing in Nigeria with government and several civil society groups. On July 23 2015, these partners turned up at Reiz Continental Hotel Abuja to review activities they had undertaken as partners of HPP which is supported by Futures Group a giant in the health sector worldwide.
The event began with introduction of special guests and partners by Dr. Sada DanMusa of HPP followed by a welcome address from Dr. Sarah Clark, the Vice President and Director at the Centre for Policy and Advocacy, Futures Group. In her speech, Dr. Clark expressed her pleasure for being part of the HPP experience sharing event because ‘Nigeria is an important country internationally and demographically’. She underscored the fact that the Futures Group which is USAID funded is committed to strengthening advocacy, decision making and accountability in the health sector in Nigeria. Futures Group works in more than 20 country offices in Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, and the Americas. This worldwide network positions Futures Group to monitor the ever-changing development context, and respond quickly and effectively to ever-evolving client needs and priorities.
In his opening remarks, Dr Joseph Monehin, the Senior Programme Manager, Integrated Health at USAID Nigeria said the theme of the event, Evidence for Family Planning: Strengthening Advocacy, Decision Making and Accountability in Nigeria, was timely.’ He acknowledged that evidence generation is critical to advocacy and recalled the support that USAID through the HPP project provided to the coalition of civil society groups under the Family Planning Action Group FPAG which developed RAPID an advocacy tool. The activity also catalysed the development RAPID at state levels in Bauchi and Sokoto states.
The various HPP partners made their presentations on the activities supported by HPP. My humble self made a presentation on “RAPID for National Advocacy’. The presentation defined RAPID as “Resources for the Awareness of Population Impacts on Development.” The development of the RAPID was supported by HPP and undertaken by FPAG to target advocacy at policy makers at national level for improved health outcomes. The presentation targeted legislators, policy makers in relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs using evidence generated from National Demographic Health Survey NDHS. RAPID analysis helps us determine how to raise our quality of life and become a more healthy and prosperous nation and HPP supported the development of RAPID by providing the Spectrum tool used for data analysis and training advocates on how to produce and present the RAPID.
The second presentation titled ‘Evidence for Advocacy: The Kaduna State Experience’ was made by Malam Shehu Makarfi, the Chair, Initiative for Social Sector Advocacy Kaduna. The presentation highlighted the activities of an Advocacy Core Group which worked in three local government areas in Kaduna state- Kaduna North, South and Chikun and later expanded to Zaria, Giwa, Kudan and Soba LGAs. The project recorded successes in capacity building for it members, media programmes and securing budgetary provision for health from 23 local governments. The third presentation was made by Mr. Uko Ekett, the former Executive Secretary of Budget Transparency and Accountability Initiative Nigeria. It was titled “Using Evidence for Budget Advocacy in Cross River State’. The paper presented the activities undertaken by activists in Cross River states, which include creating a Family Planning Advocacy Working Group which focused advocacy on budget office, State House of Assembly and collected data on storage, distribution and budget released for Family Planning. Some of its successes were procurement and handing over of equipment for data management, getting budget allocated for distribution of FP commodities and establishment of the advocacy group.
HPP worked with the Federal Ministry of Health government agencies and two of them also made presentations. Malam Shuaibu Ahmed Indabawa, the Coordinator, Kano Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) made a presentation on ‘HPP Technical Support to NHIS’. He identified HPPs support to his organization in monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, costing analysis and development of policy briefs. The National Population Commission’s presentation was made by Dr. Ghaji Bello of its Planning and Research Department. It was titled  ‘Using Evidence to Drive Policy Implementation’ and it captured the work it did in policy review and conducting NDHS.
After the presentation by partners, the second part of the event was a high level panel discussion by experts. The panellists were accomplished staff of various development organisations.  Among them were Mrs Ratidzai Ndhlovu, UNFPA Country Representative, Dr Kayode Afolabi, Head, Division of Reproductive Health in the Federal Ministry of Health; Dr Farouk Jega, Country Representative, Pathfinder Nigeria, and Dr Olufunke Fasawe, Deputy Director Clinton Health Access Initiative. Professor Emmanuel Otolorin, Country Director of Jhpiego served as the moderator. Their discussion focused on the challenges and progress made in reducing maternal mortality by improving access to services.
Research shows that every year, nearly half a million women worldwide die as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all (99%) of these deaths occur in developing countries, where pregnancy-related complications remain a leading cause of death for women in their reproductive years. Yet, most of these deaths are avoidable. The health interventions needed to prevent or manage complications are relatively straightforward and often inexpensive. Over half (60 percent) of maternal deaths could be averted if all pregnant women in developing countries had access to high-quality antenatal care and basic, but well-equipped, health facilities staffed by competent midwives. Addressing unmet need for family planning also has the potential to drastically reduce maternal mortality. After the presentations, the Country Director of Futures Group Dr Daudu Sulaiman Daudu rounded up the event with a vote of thanks and closing remarks.