World Bank staff project targets Abuja urban slum
A project funded by staff of the World Bank has opened with free HIV counselling and testing for residents of Durumi, an urban slum neighbourhood of Abuja. The month-long Community Connections Campaign, implemented by the Citizens Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEDI), is also providing awareness talks on immunisation, antenatal care and family planning, targeting […]
A project funded by staff of the World Bank has opened with free HIV counselling and testing for residents of Durumi, an urban slum neighbourhood of Abuja.
The month-long Community Connections Campaign, implemented by the Citizens Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEDI), is also providing awareness talks on immunisation, antenatal care and family planning, targeting women and young girls resident in the community.
“So many women are not too sure about the importance of immunisation, nutrition and antenatal care,” said Chika Offor, of the Vaccine Network, at the flagoff of the project.
“Until now, you still have traditional birth attendants here, and [women] give birth at home. It is only when they know the importance of giving birth in the right place, with the right personnel to have the right healthy child. It is very important.”
Leaders in the community have previously complained about absence of a health centre on site, compelling to use expensive private health centres or travel longer distances to access the nearest public hospitals in Garki, Asokoro and Wuse districts.
“It is a very rural community,” said Adolphus Enyioha, executive director of CHEDI, justifying the choice of Durumi for the project.
“They don’t have all these facilities you have right in the urban areas. There are facilities they are supposed to have. The luxury of the city is not affecting them here.”
A leader of women in the community, Dorcas Barau, said residents have for long begged to have a health centre cited in Durumi.
“Up till today, nothing. It is only private. And when elections come, [politicians] will come to Durumi, we vote them and they do nothing. If you want to go to hospital, you must go into town,” she said.
Aishatu Jakarda, a retired public health nurse and among facilitators to train residents, said absence of a health centre was prominent when the project assessed the needs of Durumi at the onset.
“They need this health education so we can tell them where to go. They can go to any nearest health centre, they are not even aware the services are free,” Jakarda said.
For the rest of the month-long project, consultants hired with funding by staff of the World Bank will teach women and girls skills in small scale business in making and selling soap, beads, disinfectants and basic household items that easily command sales in hopes of improving their economic standing.