A non-governmental organization, HACEY Health Initiative, has presented multi-million naira worth of medical kits and tools to the Oyo State government through the Primary Healthcare Board to help pregnant women in the fight against malaria.
The gesture which is presented under the project name “Impact Health Project”, was to reduce maternal mortality by improving the quality of real health service provision, improving health data collection and management system towards providing accurate evidence to inform policy formation and improving quality of service.
The items are to help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity by improving reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) service provision in tertiary, secondary, and primary health institutions and local communities by employing the use of digital and mobile health (mHealth) technology in the state.
The items donated include 30,000 doses of IPTp-SP (Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) and 10,000 Malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits, to promote the prevention of malaria in pregnancy.
Others items are 275 android smartphones to Oyo State Ministry of health for improving maternal health response aside from training of 370 health workers at the primary healthcare centers across the state.
The Project Lead, HACEY Health Initiative, Kemi Omole, while speaking after a brief ceremony held in Ibadan, said the organization has “always been particular about increasing the life, livelihood of children and mothers, girls and women and this is no exception.
“So, anything at all that helps to improve the maternal health outcomes is what we always venture into and this is like an opportunity for us to do that as we have always done”, she said.
On the choice of Oyo State for the donation, Omole said, “We have had a long-standing relationship with Oyo State going back to about 13years, we have several projects that we have been implementing here and I think it also has to do with the kind of receptiveness we get here.
“The state government welcomes people and we don’t get that harsh treatment. At times you go to some states and the kind of reception you get is not good enough but Oyo state has been very receptive to us.”
The Founder and Managing Director, IPRD Solutions, Dr. Keith Hanna, said the organization is excited to be working with other stakeholders in developing and deploying impact health, stating that it is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with the technical team highly experienced in developing and deploying advance digital solutions across the world.
According to him, “We developed impact health working with majorly international health care organizations, world-class researchers and many software partners. We believe it’s crucial to be close to where our software is deployed. We spent like two years listening to the needs of your state, working very closely with HACEY Health Initiative, who have been tremendous partners on the ground.”
The Co-founder, HACEY Health Initiative, Mr. Isaiah Owolabi, in his remarks, explained that the “Impact Health project is a health intervention of HACEY Health Initiative, supported by our partners: Intellectual Property and Research Development (IPRD) Solutions and Argusoft, which aims to reduce maternal health services provision, improving health data collection and management system towards providing accurate evidence to inform policy formations and improving quality of service.
“The Impact Health Platform comprises mobile and web-enabled applications which am to improve coverage and quality of healthcare delivery, supervision, support, and motivation for providers, especially in hard to reach communities
“The goal of the Impact Health Project is to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity by improving reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) service provision in tertiary, secondary, and primary health institutions and local communities by employing the use of digital and mobile health (mHealth) technology.
“HACEY Health Initiative’s Impact health project has supported in the collection of health information across 21 local governments in the state, covering over 60,000 households using the Family Health Survey mobile application. We have also trained 350 health workers and officials across 95 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in implementing LGAs on the use of the Quick ANC application for the administration and capturing of IPTp-SP and malaria rapid diagnostic tests.”
The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bode Oladipo, on his part, said the state is open to development partners in its bid to scale up the health of the residents.
Oladipo who was represented by Dr. Oyewole Lawal, said, “The support from development partners supplement what government is already doing. This government has open doors policy that fosters partnership with any agency that can support the state.
“The state cannot do it alone, and we feel that, if we have such partnership, it will improve not only healthcare service delivery but education, agriculture, and every other thing.”
He assured that the government has integrated supporting supervision, quarterly supervision across all health facilities in the o monitor their activities and see how facilities are managed.
The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Muyideen Olatunji, expressed appreciation of the state to the donor, stating that the support has over time helped to complement the effort of the state government in improving the healthcare service delivery of the people.
He assured that the state will make good use of the facility in a way that would encourage more investment by supporting partners and donor agencies.
