National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
An implementing partner with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Women’s Helping Hand Initiative (TWHHI) has reached out to over 100,000 persons around Lagos State in various categories of need in its bid to cushion the effects of the COVID-10 pandemic.
With the goal of providing intervention for women in need since its inception in 2006, the organisation has been creating impact on the society through campaigns and intervention programs that advocate for gender equality, abolish abuse and empower women.
In a release made available to National Wire, the organisation said, “As an implementing partner with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), two different projects were carried out in the first quarter of 2021 one of which is Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE).”
According to the release, the RCCE project is aimed at alleviating the negative effects of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also revealed that it is glaring that the lockdown hindered access to health services due to restriction of movements and insufficient health personnel who were further saddled with COVID-19 response.
“Following the ease of the lockdown, the fear of clients and health workers contracting the virus at health facilities still pose a major barrier to the use of Sexual and Reproductive Health and other health services. In order to overcome this barrier, health services were taken closer to the communities.
“Through community health fairs, over 2,000 people in 10 different Local Governments Areas in Lagos State were provided with access to Gender-Based Violence, HIV, tuberculosis and Sexual and Reproductive Health services; as well as a door to door sensitisation, awareness and mobilisation for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and COVID-19 prevention.
The organisation also disclosed that about 100,000 people benefited from its intervention and campaign when trained social workers partook in a motorised campaign to health facilities and major markets in five Local Government Areas in Lagos State to sensitise members of the community about the effects of GBV on mental health and provide referral services.
The Women’s Helping Hand Initiative also in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board successfully trained 50 nurses and medical social workers on provision of adequate mental health and psychosocial support for survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence in Lagos State.
With its several interventions, the organisation is optimistic that more people especially women would be reached with adequate health care intervention around the Lagos metropolis.
