Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has always been the problem that is leading to the cause of ill health and death world wide, especially amongst women of reproductive age. While millions of some women suffer from long term disabilities and premature death as a result of child birth and pregnancy and other related complications.
This among others were at the front borner as the Deaf women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) and Deaf women Association of Nigeria (DWAN) Abuja chapter marked the international day for persons with disabilities in the FCT. The body lead their executive Director Hellen Beyioku-Alase, during this occasion paid a visit to the FCT Health and Human services Secretariat and they were received by the Acting secretary Alh. Musa Abdulraheem in his office.
Alh. Musa who was represented by the Director of special duties Dr. Matthew Ashikeni welcomes the members of the association and stated that the FCT administration is in a good working relationship with Deaf Women Association of Nigeria and the Health Secretariat is working hard towards making sure that sign -language is integrated into the services provided within FCT hospitals. specially, When you talk about sexual reproductive health programmes because of the importance of this aspect of health for women and the children born in the society. People with disabilities have the highest disadvantage in the area of awareness of this health related isssues. It calls for more challenging in handling. So when the issue of training our health workers to most of this challenging of sign-language come up, the FCT Administration takes it more seriously and send out senior workers, Doctors, Midwives, Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab scientist to be trained on sign- language and that partnership according to him is well recommended for not less than twenty five( 25 ) of this category of staff have been trained on sign- language in the FCT hospitals this is also an ongoing process the FCT administration will continue to partner with to enable all the FCT health facilities implement this to improve the quality health care within people with this disability.
Musa, also from their earlier demands for sign -language in the training of health care providers policy in the FCT included, sign- language curriculum in Nursing and Midwifery to take care of the features demand of health personnel and making FCT health insurance free for people with disabilities, establish sign- language desk offices in the FCT Hospitals and provide budget to Carter for people with disabilities and equal employment opportunities and capacity training opportunity will be look into and today as we flag up the free maternal new born and children malnutrition programme in the FCT he calls on all members of (DWAN) to benefit from this free intervention programme going on in the FCT. They are all encourage to
Visit any of the hospitals all over the FCT to benefit from this program for mosquito nets will be given free to their members.
He further congratulated them for marking the international day of people living with disability and the Secretariat will identify with the Association to create the needed awareness among people living with disability in the FCT.
Speaking earlier the Executive Director of Association Hellen Beyioku-Alase express their gratitude to the FCT administration for giving the opportunity to train the staff of FCT on basic health sign language through the support of US embassy for six (6) weeks as well as engage some Doctors, Midwives and Nurses to develop health specific sign language glossary that will help in minimizing the communication barrier between health practioners and Deaf persons.
The (DWAI) and (DWAN) really appreciated the policy direction of FCT Health sector of the Minister of FCT led by the Hon. Minister Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello in the FCT and other stake holders in the health sector to alleviate the consequences of poor sexual Reproductive health for individuals, families and society at large
Samuel Musa
PRO HHSS
