Group advocates prompt budget release for youth-friendly health service in Nasarawa

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By Linus Ogbu, Lafia

The women Friendly Initiative (WFI), an NGO, has advocated for budget provision and timely release of fund for adolescent and youth friendly health service in Nasarawa State.

Mr Paul Uche, Women Friendly Initiative, Programme Manager for Strengthen Civil Advocacy for Local Engagement (SCALE) project said this at a one day dialogue with stakeholders on Thursday in Lafia

Uche explained that SCALE is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project through Polladium Group and being implemented in Nasarawa State.

He said the project which is jointly implemented by Family Health Care Foundation, aimed at advocating for creation of budget line for Adolescent and youth friendly health service in Nasarawa state.

According to him, the foundation had earlier this year paid advocacy visit to stakeholders in 11 local government areas across five states Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Ebonyi, Nasarawa and FCT to engaged them to prevail on their chairmen to create budget line for youth friendly health service.

“We are happy that about nine local government areas have already created budget lines that we are advocating for.

“Basically, we are here in Lafia to engage stakeholders again in community dialogue for us to earn more support and help to prevail on LGAs system to release fund allocated to these budget lines,” he said.

He added that the engagement with stakeholders was to garner more support from both elected and non elected political office holders, traditional and religious leaders to help in engaging authorities to ensure that the aim of the project was actualised.

“We are looking at it that when the fund – N7. 5 million budget by Lafia LGA is release to the health department, they will integrate the adolescent and youth friendly health service in the existing primary healthcare centre.

“On the part of nutrition, is targeted at women of child bearing age and under 5 age children,” he said.

Earlier speaking, Alh. Aminu Maifata, Chairman Lafia local government, represented by the council Secretary, Mohammed Haliru said the Council was committed to creating enabling environment for them to succeed.

” This is not the first time we are meeting this organisation for the development of Lafia local government, it is paramount to said the organisation is leaving no stone unturned to see to the progress of the LGA,” he said.

Stakeholders in attendance; traditional, religious leaders among others have promised to deliver the message to relevant authorities for prompt action, noting that youths are backbone of every society, hence their health be taken seriously.

The foundation has constituted technical committee to serve as intermediary between LGA stakeholders and primary healthcare centre to oversee activities and ensure that fund release for Adolescent and youth friendly health service are use for the purpose.