By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Without any fear of contradiction it can rightly be said that Bauchi State is enjoying tremendous support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in addressing some challenges in critical sectors of human and capital development. Though this support, that comes in different forms of interventions, is not unconnected with the poor indices associated with Bauchi State. For instance , Bauchi is among the States that has the highest number of out of school children. When it comes to health care delivery services, the State is also on the forefront among states that have high maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Also, in areas of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) there are also challenges in accessing potable water and hygiene facilities. There are also other poor indices around high level of poverty among citizens, under five malnutrition etc.
These indices may have triggered series of interventions by USAID, though credit most be accorded the state for creating the enabling environment and political will for such interventions to have impact.
USAID can be said to be on the vanguard for all donor interventions in Bauchi State and even beyond, beside UNICEF. What makes USAID intervention unique is it’s visibility across all it’s target locations of the State.
Narrowing it down to specific, the ongoing Integrated Health Program (USAID IHP) is one program that carries Journalists and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) along since it’s commencement close to 4 years now. Since inception of USAID IHP intervention in the state, one of the major port of call by it’s management were the working journalists in Bauchi State. I recalled vividly that Journalists in Bauchi were invited by USAID IHP at the inception of the project. There, at Bagari Suites Hotel Conference Hall, the State Program Director, Dr. Siaka Alhassan and Technical Director, Dr. Ibrahim Kabo stated that the USAID IHP project intends to carry along willing journalists in it’s program. This, according to them, is to leverage on the professionalism of the journalists to give the intervention visibility and assist in creating awareness on some of the key components of the intervention especially health, with particular emphasis on Reproductive and Adolescent Health, Maternal, New-born, Child Health, Malaria and Nutrition (RMNCH+MN). There, at the meeting, USAID IHP management put their cards on the table and requested the support of the journalists. They also seek for the best approach and methods in achieving a productive media engagements in the life span of the IHP intervention.
This particular gesture by USAID IHP had warmed the hearts of the journalists, especially those working around health and other developmental areas. It is also instructive to note the significant role played by the Knowledge Management and Communication (KMC) specialist of USAID IHP intervention in Bauchi State, Mr. Boniface Kassam, in sustaining the synergy and designing of activities that always keeps the journalists on the loop on their activities.
Though, before the advent of the USAID IHP intervention in Bauchi State, there exist a small group of Journalists whose area of focus is centered around public health and other developmental reportages, USAID IHP harnessed the potentials of this small group of journalists and further horned their capabilities and talents through capacity building activities. Today these same group have metamorphosed into a full fledged Bauchi based NGO known as ‘Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD).
Although the original idea of starting a Media based NGO took it’s root before the coming of USAID IHP, the nurturing and mentoring of J4PD is being solely carried out by IHP. The outcomes of these mentoring activities can be seen in the excellent reportages of IHP intervention in Bauchi State by J4PD. Not only does J4PD reports on successes, it also brings attention to gaps observed, to government and other key stakeholders in IHP’s intervention. It is gladdening to note that other USAID flagship programs and activities also received the same attention from J4PD regarding coverage and dissemination of such programs.
Also, J4PD members were accorded tremendous support from the USAID IHP State Program Director ,Dr. Siaka Alhassan. There was no capacity training workshop organised for members of J4PD that Dr. Alhassan does not attend personally. It was at one of such trainings that he commended members of J4PD , recently registered by the Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission, for their resolve to work in one of the delicate areas of journalism that focuses on public health and related areas.
He advised the NGO to channel their energy in carrying out sound and evidence based reports that can add value to their areas of focus.
The optimism of the State IHP Director regarding the establishment of the NGO has really boosted the morale of members of J4PD. Not only does USAID IHP trained and mentored this crop of Journalists, the program is carrying along members of J4PD in most of it’s activities. This is done with a view to exposing the Journalists to a first hand information from the beneficiaries of their intervention, especially in the areas of Reproductive Health, Maternal, New-born, Child Health, Malaria and Nutrition (RMNCH+MN).
Also, by engaging the media in some of their activities, the journalists always comes face to face with the gaps and challenges at health facility and community level. This effort has gingered members of J4PD into churning out evidence based stories that galvanizes both government and other non state actors in the health sector into taking informed decisions aimed at improving basic health care services in Bauchi State. This was attested on many occasions by the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed. During such occasions, he never fails to commend the activities of J4PD and also encourage the members to sustain the tempo in reporting health issues. “You can easily see the gaps and challenges as journalists. Both the community people and health care service providers relates with you well. This interpersonal relationship makes you access information on where our strengths and weaknesses lays when you write your stories. What actually gladdens my heart is your capacity in writing evidence based stories that are always backed by official data”, said Dr. Mohammed recently, when members of J4PD paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
USAID IHP intervention does not only stop at building the capacity of the Bauchi based health reporters, they also organise interface between J4PD members and some health related Agencies in Bauchi State. This interface has created synergy and provided platform where J4PD members gets to know the technical inner workings of such MDAs.
Just recently, USAID IHP brought together the chief executive officer of Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency Dr. Mansur Mustapha Dada and J4PD members with a view to keeping the journalists abreast on the Agency’s drive on health insurance in Bauchi State. At the meeting, members of J4PD were informed by Dr. Dada on the challenges his Agency is encountering on citizens’ perception on health insurance.
It was during the meeting that the State Director of USAID IHP, Dr. Alhassan informed Journalists then, that only 50,000 beneficiaries were enrolled in Bauchi State, stressing that there was need for the Media to project such issues to the limelight.
“Something has to be done to increase enrolment into the health insurance scheme. The media needs to put pressure on Government to increase funding of the scheme”, Dr. Siaka said.
Having been duly informed, members of J4PD took to their various medium and started creating more awareness, through their reportage, on the benefits of health insurance and also changing the negative perception of the public regarding the scheme, which has yielded positive outcomes. Also, after the meeting, the Agency commissioned the production of a video documentary in both English language and the local dialect, to further strengthen the awareness campaign around health insurance benefits. It is heart warming to note that since then, there has been a significant improvement in the enrolment of more beneficiaries into the health insurance scheme in Bauchi State, especially from the informal sector.
USAID IHP also organizes field trips for members of J4PD to ascertain impact of it’s support to the Bauchi State government through their intervention in the health care system. The objective of such field trips was to acquaint the journalists on some of IHP’s direct interventions at health facility levels. In those field trips, J4PD members saw the impact of intervention that focuses on institutional strengthening through capacity training for service providers. These trainings had equip the service providers in providing basic health care services effectively without compromising standards.
Such trainings, which primarily focuses on providing quality services in Reproductive Health, Maternal, New-born, Child Health, Malaria and Nutrition (RMNCH+MN) at PHC level in the state, has greatly improved healthcare services in the communities and the state at large.
The strategic approach of training service providers at the facility level adopted by USAID IHP was based on the fact that 77 percent of Maternal and Neonatal deaths occurred at community level, where PHCs played significant role in mitigating such deaths.
Dr. Alhassan also reiterated that, part of the training was also centered around health information management system at the PHC level . This, according to him, was aimed at improving the quality of data generated at the facility level.
Also, as part of sustainability plan, which is inline with the USAID IHP program’s objective, the program has trained master trainers so that they could pick up from where USAID IHP stops at the exit of the program.
Members of J4PD were also taken on yet another field trip to observe how basic health care services is being taken to the door steps of the community through a well thought of RMNCH+MN integrated outreach services that provides routine immunization, antenatal/prenatal care services at house level, vitamin-A supplements and other essential health care services that targets expectant mothers, under five children etc.
Just last June, members of J4PD were specifically trained by USAID IHP on how to develop it’s standard operational plans (SOPs) that will guide the activities of the infant NGO.
During the training, the Coordinator of J4PD, Elizabeth Carr, expressed her gratitude to USAID IHP for having faith in her Organization saying that, “the success story of J4PD can never be complete without mentioning the tremendous support it got from USAID IHP. As you may have observed, the result of our collaboration with IHP has given your interventions all the necessary visibility and more awareness for better health outcomes in Bauchi State”.
“Not only are we better equipped to run J4PD, but we are also beginning to enjoy collaboration with other partners in the development sector outside the State. I made bold to say that, this is due to the capacity building program you impacted on us over the last few years. No amount of words can quantify our gratitude to USAID IHP for believing in us”, Ms. Carr was quoted as saying during one of such trainings organised for J4PD and CSOs.
One of the main challenges that has been a constant sore thumb in the implementation of health programs and activities for improved health care services in Bauchi State have been the poor budget releases. Not withstanding the fact that the State was among the first States that apportioned over 15 percent of it’s budget to the health sector, releases of such appropriated funds has been a major challenge for stakeholders in the sector. Concerned by such challenges, USAID IHP did not rest on it’s oars in building the capacity of J4PD members and other CSOs in using health budget performance to advocate for improved releases in the sector.
In their renewed efforts in that regard, USAID IHP organised another two days workshop for J4PD members and other CSOs on budget tracking.
The objective of the workshop was to equip J4PD members with necessary skills and knowledge to track and engage relevant stakeholders during the 2023 Annual Budgeting Process in Bauchi State. The workshop was a continuation of the CSO- Media engagement aimed at strengthening the health system for improved health services in the State.
The workshop provided opportunity for the participants to be updated on the current expenditure and income status of the health sector of the State and also improved their skills on budget advocacy and conduct of public hearings.
Sufficed to say that the technical support J4PD is getting from USAID IHP intervention in Bauchi State is equal to none in all the collaboration J4PD is having with partners within and outside the State. This support has actually turned J4PD members into master trainers on issues that focuses on evidence based advocacy in health care system.
The productive collaboration between USAID IHP and J4PD blossomed into a huge pool of competent human resources that attracts Government attention to J4PD’s capacity and other non State actors.
This piece cannot be complete without identifying the roles of some key personalities at USAID IHP Bauchi. The State Director USAID IHP Dr. Alhassan , as mentioned in the forgoing, can be described as the chief mentor for J4PD. He has always been there for members of J4PD, encouraging them not to despair amid the daunting challenges in health reporting. Closely following on the heels of Dr. Alhassan is the State Technical Director, Dr. Ibrahim Kabo, who taught members of J4PD on ways of using data in a user friendly manner to attract readership without making it too technical for comprehension. This singular art has enriched the reportage of J4PD members, thus making it into an advocacy and awareness creation materials for improved health outcomes in Bauchi State.
Worthy of mention too is Mr. Daniel Yerima, who personally made it a point to go extra mile in advising J4PD members on the rudiments of running a credible, vibrant and result base NGO. Pharmacist Khalid Khalid, an expert in health financing is also always on hand during or after official hours, giving J4PD members talk on out of pocket expense for health as a catalyst for universal health coverage in Bauchi State. He engaged J4PD members and the CSOs on the processes of Bauchi State health budget, how it is being executed and avenues on how to track the implementation of the budget inline with global best practices.
The collaboration of USAID IHP and J4PD could not have been possible without the presence of Mr. Boniface Kassam, the Knowledge Management and Communication Specialist who served as the point of entry for J4PD into the USAID IHP intervention since inception. He created the enabling environment by always inviting journalists to cover the activities of IHP. This did not come as surprise to majority of J4PD members because of the standing professional relationship they had with Mr. Kassam when he was part of other USAID funded intervention some years ago in Bauchi State.
The support J4PD is getting does not stop at the USAID IHP State office alone, just few months ago the duo of Communication Managers of the USAID IHP from it’s Washington office, Audrey Donohue and Suzan Akila, of IHP Abuja office paid an official visit to the office of J4PD in Bauchi State. During that visit, both Donohue and Akila commended the effort of J4PD members in bringing health issues on the front burner in Bauchi State. It was indeed a defining moment for J4PD members which further strengthened the resolve of the journalists to redouble their efforts in creating more awareness through their reports, news analysis and stories. The duo of Donohue and Akila also pledged all necessary technical support to make J4PD members excel in that direction.
It is glaringly clear that USAID IHP has mentored J4PD members, thus making available the harvesting of this top class health journalists by the Government , International Partners and other non State actors with a view to providing support in the improvement of health care delivery system in Bauchi State and beyond.
Suffice to say, USAID IHP will be leaving behind a legacy of well trained health reporters that can adequately hold stakeholders accountable in their responsibilities for improved health outcomes in Bauchi State.
Abubakar is the Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor of J4PD
bashirhassan3788@gmail.com