News Updates

News and Photo Stories -Week 50

SFH IN THE NEWS

Tribune, 11 December 2024

Society for Family Health project boosts family planning in Kwara
Society for Family Health (SFH) has intensified efforts to promote family planning in Kwara state through its Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) project.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin during an ongoing four-day supportive supervisory visit to family planning health facilities in the state, the country manager for partnership and collaboration for SFH-DISC project, Jennifer Adebambo, said that there has been significant progress in the adoption of self-injectable contraceptives by women
During an advocacy visit to the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, Jennifer Adebambo stressed the need for collaboration between the state government and SFH-DISC to improve family planning services in the state.
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VMTNews, 9 December 2024
 
 16 Days Activism: NAPTIP empowers 15 survivors of gender based violence in Kano
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) on Thursday empowered 15 survivors of Sexual Abuse and Gender Based Violence (SBGV) in Kano State.
 
The Kano Zonal Commander of the agency, Mr Abdullahi Babale, disclosed this during a One-Day Capacity Building Workshop for First Respondents of SGBV held in Kano. The workshop was organised by NAPTIP in collaboration with Georgetown Global Health Nigeria(GGHN), and ACE2-Society for Family Health (SFH- ICHSSA3).
Babale said that the empowerment items presented to the survivors to mark the 16 days of Activism were approved by the Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajiya Binta Adamu-Bello.
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SFH ACTIVITIES ​

SFH Highlights Key TB Interventions as First Lady Opens National TB Conference 2024
The 2024 National Tuberculosis (TB) Conference commenced on Tuesday, 10th December, at the Abuja Trade and Convention Centre, with Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, delivering the keynote address. Welcoming participants, she emphasised the theme, “Public-Private Partnership and Integrated Service Delivery: Panacea to End TB in Nigeria,” as a clarion call to strengthen collaborations in the fight against TB.
Addressing the audience, the First Lady acknowledged the alarming global TB burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. She highlighted the 2024 World Health Organization Tuberculosis Report, which revealed that 10.8 million people developed TB in 2023, resulting in 1.6 million deaths, with 12% of the burden affecting children and adolescents. She described TB as a leading cause of death in Nigeria, especially among vulnerable populations. Despite these challenges, she noted progress, including a steady increase in the number of people diagnosed and treated for TB, and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving the 2030 global TB targets.
 
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, in his keynote address, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to eliminating TB. He emphasised the need for inclusive, rights-based, and gender-responsive approaches while highlighting the private sector’s critical role in TB control.
Society for Family Health (SFH) is actively participating in the conference, showcasing impactful interventions through its GF N-THRIP, CFCS, and TBLON3 projects. These projects focus on targeted TB case finding, community mobilisation, and integrating TB and HIV services. Highlights include the presentation of abstracts such as “Targeted Childhood TB Case Finding: Impact of Community Outreaches in Almajiri Schools” and “Children-Focused TB Interventions in Lagos State,”. SFH is also sharing powerful documentaries and stories from Hard- to-reach communities that illustrate the human impact of TB and the successes of integrated service delivery.
 
With SFH’s leadership team in attendance, including Dr. Omokhudu Idogho, Group Managing Director, Dr. Jennifer Anyanti DMD Strategy, Technical and Growth, Pharm Kene Eruchalu, DMD Programme Delivery, Mr Ifeanyi Okekearu, Senior TB Specialist, Mrs Jane Chinyere Adizue , CFCS Project Lead; Dr Joseph Ashivor, Technical Director GF N-THRIP project and Dr. Abiola Risikat Alege, TBLON3 Project Lead. SFH continues to engage with other stakeholders with an aim to advance Nigeria’s TB control strategies, foster innovative collaborations, and promote evidence-based interventions to accelerate progress toward ending TB in Nigeria.

SFH at the High Level Event: Political Leadership to End TB

We are honoured to attend the High-Level Event: Political Leadership to End TB as part of the Stop TB Partnership’s 38th Board Meeting, represented by our Deputy Managing Director, Dr. Jennifer Anyanti.

Hosted by the Global Stop TB Partnership at the State House, Aso Villa, the event is graced by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This gathering will set an energising and inspiring tone towards the board meeting and emphasise the important role of political leadership in driving forward the global and national agenda to end tuberculosis. We are excited to be part of this critical initiative and one of the representatives of the CSO at the board meeting.

SFH KPCARE 2 Project Commemorates World AIDS Day, 2024

The KP-CARE 2 Project, Society for Family Health (SFH), Adamawa State in collaboration with the Adamawa Agency for the Control of AIDS (ADSACA), Adamawa State Government, and other implementing Partners in the state, commemorated World AIDS Day on December 1, 2024. This brought the attention of the community members and the entire Adamawa state community to the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS with the theme “Taking the Rights Path: Sustain the HIV Response and Stop HIV among Children to End AIDS in Nigeria by 2030”.

This year’s focus emphasised the need for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission and ensuring that children born to HIV-positive mothers are free of the virus is a priority. This aligns with global goals to eradicate pediatric HIV and improve maternal and child health outcomes and also aligns with the global commitment under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

The KP-CARE 2 Project provided condoms, SFH Customised IEC materials (Bags, T-shirts, Face caps, and key rings), and food support as part of our contribution to the commemoration of World AIDS 2024.
The activities included a town hall meeting with Her Excellency the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Professor Kaletapwa G. Farauta, the distribution of food items to people living with HIV/AIDS, and a group photograph by the SFH KPCARE 2 Team at the Yola OSS.

Driving the Elimination of Vertical Transmission of HIV: Country Experiences from West and Central Africa  – GENEVA, 2024

Global health leaders convened from December 9 to 13, 2024 at the Global Health Campus in Geneva, Switzerland, to chart pathways toward eliminating vertical transmission (EVT) of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis in West and Central Africa. The workshop, organised by the Global Fund, aimed to foster knowledge exchange and data-driven strategies among participating countries. Nigeria’s delegation featured key experts, including Dr Charles ODIMA of Society for Family Health (SFH), Ms. Rifkatu Aimu Sunday of IHVN, and Dr Mojisola Bello of NASCP PMTCT Project. Their contributions underscored Nigeria’s commitment to improving PMTCT outcomes and achieving sustainable EVT solutions.

The workshop featured dynamic sessions, such as epidemiological reviews led by UNAIDS and Global Fund representatives, as well as country-specific presentations. Nigeria’s data-driven insights highlighted the integration of PMTCT within broader healthcare delivery, geographic prioritisation, and community-level innovations. Panel discussions explored the optimisation of lay health workers and their critical role in scaling up EVT interventions, while the session on triple elimination delved into strategies to concurrently tackle HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis. Questions on sustainability, confidentiality, and task-shifting sparked robust discussions, with Nigeria sharing lessons on adapting interventions to local contexts.

Key takeaways from the workshop emphasised evidence-based programming, leveraging community health workers and fostering cross-country learning. The Nigerian delegation also identified actionable steps to enhance HTS uptake and ART linkages for pregnant women. As SFH and its partners continue to champion this cause, the Geneva workshop serves as a reflection of the collective resolve to end vertical transmission and ensure healthier futures for mothers and children across the region.

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