The President & CEO of JSI, Margaret Crotty and the Country Director, John Snow Incorporated Research and Training Institute, (JSI) Nigeria. Dr Olawale Durosinmi-Etti during the press briefing in Abuja recently.
By Victoria Onehi
The President & CEO of John Snow Incorporated (JSI), Margaret Crotty, has said the organisation will continue partnering with the federal government and implementing partners to improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Crotty, who was on working visit to Nigeria recently, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Abuja. She was in Nigeria to help strengthen partnerships and collaborations between JSI, the government, and communities where JSI work.
She said: “It’s the first country that we chose because of the level of commitment that we have and partnership that we have with local partners,state governments, and the federal government. So, the potential for growth and partnership is extraordinarily high here.
“We have also gone where we have strong partnerships, where we have strong staff, where we know that we can do it in a way that will be additive to the community and to the country. In both Edo and Jigawa states, we have multiple projects that we are operating. So my visit to the governors was very helpful for me to be able to thank them for their partnership.
“The Edo state visit was really quite remarkable because we have multiple projects there and plan to be there and continue our partnership and the examples that we can learn there to roll out in other parts. We are also committed to the other states of the country.”
Crotty added that one of the greatest things she is proud of is the strength of partnerships with the government.
Under one of its projects, JSI is currently working with stakeholders to receive the first batch of MPox vaccine that will be coming into the country in the next few weeks.
“JSI, under the USAID- MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity (MRITE) project, is currently working with stakeholders to receive the first batch of Mpox vaccine that will be coming into the country in the next few weeks. And as part of our collaboration, we’ll be supporting the NPHCDA with capacity building for key stakeholders to ensure that these vaccines are introduced into Nigeria and administered accordingly. And then hopefully, we can curtail the spread of the disease in Nigeria. She said.
The Country Director, John Snow Incorporated Research and Training Institute, (JSI) Nigeria,Dr Olawale Durosinmi-Etti, said JSI which has been in Nigeria for close to forty years has implemented several projects, supporting governments of the country, both at the national and sub-national level.
He said: “We have been able to support HIV programming through our technical assistance for supply chain system strengthening in Nigeria; Technical assistance on Routine Immunization and strengthening of Primary Health Care services; Technical assistance on access to family planning and reproductive health services including self-injectables such Depo medroxyprogesterone Acetate Sub Cuteneous(DMPA-SC).
“Also,we have given technical assistance on institutionalisation of self-care intervention.”
He noted that in its bid to improve Universal Health Coverage, the Federal Ministry of Health and JSI are happy about Lagos State’s adoption of the National Guidelines on Self-Care for Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health. He added that they are leveraging on partnerships with Kano and Kaduna states to achieve the same.
“So for us, one of the things we’re doing is to advocate for the need for the domestication of the National Guidelines on Self-care, and I can tell you that recently, we just recorded success with Kaduna State accepting for JSI to come support them to finalise the domestication of the self-care guideline. So by next week, our team will be in Kaduna, working with key stakeholders and, once that is done, we will also support the dissemination of the guidelines.
“Self-care is important. We have massive shortage in healthcare workers. And one of the ways that you can bridge the gap is to encourage people to know how to manage their health, either with or without the support of healthcare workers.”Durosinmi-Etti said.
