The Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SSPHDA) has trained 69 Ward Development Committee members, Health Promotion Officers and Community Women Leaders on community engagement and accountability.The two-day training was organised in collaboration with UNICEF under the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) Project aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, SSPHDA Director of Advocacy and Mobilisation, Alhaji Dahiru Kamaru-Gada, said the training was designed to promote responsible health-seeking behaviour and improve access to quality healthcare services.
Kamaru-Gada said the EU-SARAH Project focused on improving people’s health, personal development and access to essential healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations across participating communities in the state.
According to him, the initiative represents a transformative approach to healthcare delivery, targeting sexual, reproductive, maternal, adolescent and child health services as critical components of public health development.
“Reproductive and adolescent health is a cornerstone of public health which plays a crucial role in the overall well-being of our communities.
“Many women and adolescents continue to face significant barriers to accessing essential reproductive health services.
“We know that these barriers lead to preventable maternal deaths and a cycle of ill health that impacts families and communities for generations,” he said.
Also speaking, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, Mr Ibrahim Haruna, said the programme would equip community leaders with tools to strengthen dialogue, build trust and remove barriers to healthcare.
Haruna explained that Ward Development Committees serve as a critical link between government health institutions and rural communities, making them central to the success of public health interventions.
“The objective is to ensure that community representatives fully understand the importance of the SARAH and Community Engagement and Accountability initiatives so they can enlighten residents on available services,” he said.
He added that the committees also supported sanitation, environmental health, education and other social development activities, describing them as important drivers of grassroots development and community mobilisation efforts.
Haruna said that the EU-SARAH project is a 40 million euro, four-year programme funded by the European Union and implemented by UNICEF and UNFPA in collaboration with Nigeria.
He explained that the initiative focused on local health improvements and was being implemented in Adamawa, Sokoto and Kwara states to strengthen access to reproductive and adolescent health services.
The event featured presentations on project implementation, community engagement strategies, accountability mechanisms and the roles and responsibilities of Ward Development Committees in supporting healthcare delivery.
