Kaduna: Some Persons Living With Disability (PWDs) on Wednesday commended the Kaduna State Government and some development partners for floating an inclusive-coated implementation plan for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH).
They made the commendation in separate interviews with journalists shortly after a meeting to distribute the Costed Implementation Plan(CIP)for the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons with Disabilities.
CIP was developed by the state government under its Ministry of Health with support from Sightsavers and Lafiya, among other development partners.
The Executive Director of Women with Disabilities Self Reliance Foundation, Riskat Muhammed, said that they actively participated in the entire process of the plan.
She said, “This is from advocacy to policy formulation and the dissemination of the working document.
“This document represents our voices and our dreams. It is not something that was done for us without us; we were there at every step.
“Of course, as implementation begins, we will continue to monitor and engage, ensuring that the government remains responsive to emerging issues and listens to the lived experiences of women with disabilities.”
Similarly, Salome Net, the Executive Director of Heart to Heart Foundation for Inclusive Education, said CIP was a dream come true for people with disabilities.
She explained that the plan would address the marginalisation of PWDs in accessing health services, saying that they were fully involved in its development.
“We were fully involved in it and Persons with Disabilities of different kinds were carried along and our voices were heard; all our needs had been captured in the plan.
“It means so much for us that today we are here to learn and disseminate this cost implemented plan for SRHR of persons with disability; we are very happy and really feel we’ve been listened to,” Muhammed said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, stated that access to sexual and reproductive health was not a privilege but a right which must be upheld, especially for the most vulnerable in society.
The commissioner,who was represented by the Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Naomi Kukah, said that the development of the CIP was a policy document that promoted inclusion.
She explained,” CIP identifies strategic actions, allocates resources, and sets clear priorities to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in the quest for universal access to SRH services.
“This plan is the product of rigorous consultations, data analysis, and the voices of persons with disabilities.
“It is built on inclusion, participation, accountability, and sustainability principles.
“We recognise that achieving these goals requires more than good intentions and requires concrete action.”
While speaking, Mohammed Liman, the Consultant who supported the plan’s development, stated that the CIP for the sexual and reproductive health of persons with disabilities was set to run from 2024 to 2027.
He explained the plan was projected to cost approximately N33 billion over three years, adding that a substantial portion of N21 billion would be allocated to infrastructure upgrades.
He stated that some of the significant barriers limiting access to SRH services for persons with disabilities were physical infrastructure and poor communication between service providers and PWDs.
Meanwhile, the Programme Director, Sightsavers, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Anita Gyom, stated that their role was to demonstrate that the implementation was possible.
She said, “We also want to show the government what works and what can be scaled up.
Gyom said that the government had the role of taking leadership and mobilising diverse resources from multiple stakeholders who were committed to promoting inclusion.
“While Sightsavers is supporting the implementation of specific components, the ownership and coordination of the broader plan rests squarely with the government,” she added.