YESTERDAY, Engender Health Nigeria, in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), advocated for a reduction in maternal and newborn mortality through the USAID-funded MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics project.
The group also organized a three-day capacity-building workshop for National Orientation Agency Community Orientation Mobilization Officers (COMOS) from Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Ebonyi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Deputy Director, Public Enlightenment, Mass Mobilisation Department, NOA, Theresa Maduekwe, stated during the workshop in Abuja that USAID is leveraging the spread of NOA across the country to reach the grassroots with prevalent cases.
She said: “MOMENTUM, a project under USAID is a program that seeks collaboration with the NOA. We believe that with this partnership taking off, and the enlightenment activities, certainly there will be a decline in the occurrences.”
The workshop also looked at strengthening the NOA’s capacity to engage donor agencies and key private actors in collaboration to fund orientation activities in the country from MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics supported states.
Dr. Odio Bartholomew, Clinical Specialist, USAID-funded, explained in his remarks that the partnership with NOA is to strengthen its state structures in order to integrate safe surgery, fistula, and FGM messaging into its existing social awareness and behavior modification programs.
He urged the government to fully implement the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) in order to provide legal protection against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).
