Dr Istifanus Waziri Technically Assistance African coalition on Tuberculosis
By Ishaq Haruna Hardawa
In a bid to ensure inclusion of marginalized groups in decision making in health and strengthening pandemic preparedness through collaboration during health emergencies stakeholders in the sector charged to redouble efforts in building community resilience for pandemic preparedness and response across the Northeastern region.
The Founder Janna Health Foundation Dr Stephen John made the appeal during a two day stakeholders engagement on the presentation of findings on access to healthcare services and GBV during COVID-19 pandemic, organised by Janna Health in Consortium with Sufabel Community Development Initiatives and African Coalition against TB, under COPPER CE Project held in Yola Adamawa State.
Dr Stephen John explained that building community resilience for pandemic preparedness and response is key for early detection and response during pandemic.
He mentioned some of the key and vulnerable populations that include Internally Displaced Persons, miners, nomads who live in hard to reach areas as well as people living with HIV and AIDS and stressed the need to give them special consideration during pandemic to tackle the spread of the diseases.
The Founder of the Foundation explained that the organization has worked with the Technical Assistance to unravel the impact of the previous pandemics on the vulnerable populations in the region.
Dr Stephen John said the foundation has been engaging some underserve communities in the area of Tuberculosis, leprosy and HIV and AIDS through the use of over one thousand vulunteers in the Northeast region.
He appealed to all stakeholders to join hand in building the capacity of communities to report early outbreak of epidemic or pandemic.
” We have to continue to push for support from everybody, is not just Janna Health we need all other organizations to join the train to push forward this vision because our communities are the play ground of pandemic and epidemic when it happened so preparing and making them ready will help a lot in stoping the scourge quicker”
In a presentation on the findings of the impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable populations and people living in hard to reach areas, the Technical Assistance African Coalition Against Tuberculosis, Dr Istifanus Waziri noted that the research focused on four areas that include, Healthcare access during pandemic, Communication and community engagement, Vulnerable groups and discrimination.
Others are Pandemic Assistance and Human right and gender issues.
Dr Istifanus Waziri observed that, the findings shows a lot of gaps in access to healthcare services during pandemic experience by the key and vulnerable populations and underserve communities.
He also disclosed that high rate of GBV cases were recorded during the previous pandemic hence the need to create safe space for the victims.
“Health crises posed significant economic and health challenges prompting the need for emergency assistance to the affected population”
Dr Waziri therefore called for the establishment of mobile clinic to bridge the gap of access to healthcare during pandemic to cover people living in hard to reach areas and equitable distribution of palliatives,
“This research was conducted in the four states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba”
The Technical Assistance also used the medium to appeal for the review of some policy frameworks to align with the present realities by inclusion of marginalized voices in the health decision making and strengthening community feedback mechanism in Health.
“We have existing policies with regard to National action plan on health security etc, what are those gaps, are this vulnerable group captured during pandemic, what is the plan and also their gender and human right how can we include those groups in our policies”
In a remark the Director General National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Olajide Idris who was represented by Paul Majam commended Janna Health foundation for focusing on neglected communities to address their gap of access to healthcare.
Dr Olajide Idris assured the commitment of his organisation to support the foundation to achieve more in advancing the health and wellbeing of the people.
In a remark the District Head of Girei who is also the Uban Doman Adamawa Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Mustapha who was represented by the Village Head of Sangere Malam Sunusi Yahaya assured that the Traditional Institution would use their existing Structures to cascade the needed information on pandemic preparedness and response to their subjects.
The two day programme under Community engagement in pandemic preparedness and response COPPER CE drew participants from the Media, CSOs, CBOs, MDAs, NGOs and faith base organizations.
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