Bauchi Communities Embrace COVID-19 Response Programme

The COVID-19 Response Mechanism Grant Project (C19 Project) in Bauchi has attributed the tremendous successes it recorded in its first quarter of implementation in the state to what it described as good acceptance, welcome and buy-in from the people it has been working with.

The state programme officer, Dauda Makka said, “So far we have recorded some successes. We had a very good acceptance, welcome and buy-in from the respective communities we are working with, and this has gone a long way to help us achieve greater success. This is because of the level of advocacy we have conducted through stakeholder engagements and other responses.”

Mr Makka stated this yesterday while fielding questions from journalists shortly after a quarterly media roundtable with Global Fund Grant, Community-based Organisations (CBOs), executive directors, Nigerian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN), Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health, and the COVID-19 Response Mechanism Grant held in Bauchi.

According to him, the meeting was targeted at the stakeholders and other partners involved in the project with other CBOs for giving them the feedback of all activities conducted in various local governments, issues and challenges identified and solutions proffered to achieve desired goals.

“All challenges have been discussed and possible recommendations have been suggested by the stakeholders and the rest. These recommendations range from stakeholders’ involvement, and high-level advocacy to the key policymakers in the state, and the need for involvement of the CBOs or ward development committees who are believed to be the first care in the health system of every community,” he said.

He explained that the project focuses on community health strengthening which means taking ownership of health facilities and the system in the communities and getting them to take buy-in of the health structures, accept them and its maintenance and patronage.

Also, Bauchi State programme coordinator of Global Fund Grant, Abdullahi Ibrahim said, “The essence of the meeting is to assess the level of activities being carried within the CBOs and communities”, stressing that the first target is community engagement which has made residents aware and are already taking steps to ensure its sustainability.