Gender-based Violence: US-CDC Advocates Support For Survivors

In commemoration of the 2024 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) in collaboration with APIN Public Health Initiatives has called for collective action to address Gender-based Violence (GBV) and support survivors.

The US-CDC with its implementing partners made the call on Thursday at a media round-table on GBV, in Abuja.

Deputy Director for Programmes, US-CDC Nigeria, Dr. Jerry Gwamna, emphasised the harmful effects of GBV on physical, mental, and social well-being, in line with the World Health Organisation’s definition of health.

“Gender-based violence, in whatever form; psychological, emotional, physical, or economic, has deleterious effects on the complete health of survivors,” he stated.

Represented by the Team Lead for Community and Gender, US-CDC Nigeria, Victor Adamu, Gwamna highlighted the CDC’s commitment to preventing GBV and mitigating its impact through strategic collaborations.

He noted that the CDC, with funding from PEPFAR and support from implementing partners, has implemented programmes designed to prevent GBV and provide critical assistance to survivors. “We work to either alleviate the issues that survivors have passed through or to prevent such GBV cases from happening at all,” he explained.

He called for active participation in the fight against GBV, stressing the importance of collaboration across sectors to achieve lasting impact. “It behoves on us as an organisation interested in the health and well-being of our people to work together to prevent GBV and mitigate its impacts,” he said.

On her part, Gender and GBV Programme Specialist at CDC, Bukola Adewumi,

during a presentation emphasised the CDC’s commitment and approach to tackling GBV. She highlighted the integration of routine screenings for physical, emotional, and sexual violence into healthcare services, alongside free post-violence care packages in supported states.

Adewumi outlined key community interventions, including the No-Means-No programme, which has trained over 78,000 adolescents in self-defense and boundary-respecting skills, and the Family Matters Programme, which has empowered over 100,000 caregivers to protect their children.

She also praised the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, a global campaign raising awareness through school and community initiatives.

She noted measurable progress, with CDC providing GBV response services to 5,452 survivors of sexual violence and 40,715 survivors of physical or emotional abuse since 2018. She mentioned that In Kaduna State, targeted campaigns led to a 31 percent increase in GBV reporting and a 19 percent rise in post-exposure prophylaxis uptake.

However, Adewumi called for collective action from parents, schools, and leaders to end GBV, emphasising the need for systemic change. “The time to act is now,” she said, urging communities to support survivors and challenge harmful norms.

The Gender Technical Lead of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Nigeria, Mrs Bola Thompson, urged victims to speak out, while restating the APIN’s commitment against GBV, “We should do more by encouraging survivors of GBV to speak out,” Thompson said.

She resassured that the Initiative as one of the USCDC implementing partners will ensure that the fight against GBV is sustained while ensuring support for victims and survivors.

A beneficiary of APIN interventions, 37 years old Omisina Titilope narating her ordeal urged victims to always speak up and seek help. She appreciated APIN for their role in ensuring that she survived despite stigmatisation from friends and family.