By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The Association of Civil Society Organizations in Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition, ACOMIN, has intensified advocacy for improved health service delivery in Taraba State under the GF/IHVN/ACOMIN Integrated Community-Led Monitoring, CLM, Project.
ACOMIN’s State Chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Tanko Danburam, disclosed this during an engagement by the Stakeholder Advocacy Team, SAT, with the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, TSPHCDA, to highlight gaps in the malaria supply chain.
Danburam explained that the Galea MDG Clinic in Kurmi LGA has gone without malaria equipment, while Sabon-Gida Akwewem PHC is currently out of stock of ACTs.
Perhaps most striking was the situation at Tati PHC in Takum LGA, where Insecticide Treated Nets, ITNs, have reportedly been unavailable since 2022 a gap of over three years.
The team also visited the Taraba State AIDS Control Agency, TACA, where it presented HIV service-delivery gaps uncovered through community-led monitoring.
According to him, among the findings was the absence of HIV screening during antenatal care at Bakin-Dutse MDG Clinic in Ardo-Kola LGA. The team also raised concerns from Wuro Cheudo PHC and Tati PHC in Takum LGA, as well as Lanko PHC and Wuro Yolde PHC in Takum, Yorro and Ardo-Kola LGAs respectively.
Danburam said community-led monitoring goes beyond identifying problems.
“Community-led monitoring goes beyond identifying problems. It’s about providing evidence, engaging duty bearers, and tracking commitments until real improvements are achieved. Communities are also mobilized to help resolve issues through their own contributions.
“It is because the issues could not be resolved by the communities and at the LGA levels that the team escalated the issues to state level stakeholders,” Danburam added.
In their responds, Mr. Mahmud Mohammed of TSPHCDA and Mr. Tsojon Paul of TACA acknowledged the issues raised and pledged to engage the relevant programme structures to ensure follow-up action.
The Taraba State GF/IHVN/ACOMIN/CLM – ATM Project have been doing great. All is to make the government and the community members come to see the gaps in our PHC PHCC where it affects the ATM services in our health facilities.
My appreciation to GF IHVN ACOMIN.