Stakeholders Call for Sustained Commitment to Maternal, Child Healthcare in Anambra

By Praise Chinecherem

Members of Ward Development Committees (WDCs) and Community Empowerment Network (COMEN) have been urged to sustain commitment to maternal and child healthcare in their various primary healthcare facilities.

The call was made in Awka, Anambra State during the Strengthening Public Accountability for Result and Knowledge (SPARK 2) Review and Reflection meeting for members of the two organizations from its project local government areas and communities.

One of the partners and Director, Justice Development and Peace Caritas, (JDPC Nnewi), Rev Father Ben Okolo said the engagement offered participants opportunity to reflect on their successes, failures and way forward.

He urged them to freely express their views and share their findings from previous interactions and encounters with the PHCs in their localities.

“This is a continuation of what we have been doing under SPARK 2 project. Many things have been going on in our WDCs and PHCs and we have been championing it.

“We have done the first phase of SPARK and this is the second phase. The intervention is being carried out across the state.

“Today, we want to reflect on what we have been doing – what have we done well? Where have we failed to meet targets? What do we need to do to get better outcomes?

Also speaking, Executive Director, Social and Integral Development Centre, SIDEC, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, described the meeting as a time to track progress, challenges and proffer way forward for SPARK 2 implementation in the state.

“We are here to take stock, to review and reflect. All the beautiful reports you have been sharing with us on the platform, we are here to ascertain what we have done well and what we need to improve on.

“We want you to do better than you are doing already. We need you to present all that you’ve done. When they come, we want you to demonstrate capacity.

“You will justify your reports today – how did you do it? Are there challenges you faced? All these will form our report to International Budget Partnership (IBP).

Speaking on behalf of Civil Rights Concern, (CRC), another SPARK 2 partner, Ikechukwu Nwabueze noted that the outcome of the meeting would form part of the presentations to the IBP.

COMEN State Chairman, Ide Godwin Eze charged participants to see themselves as duty bearers in various position of responsibility they occupy.

“We all are duty bearers and we must be accountable. As we hold government accountable, we must be accountable ourselves.

“All the duties committed into our hands, we must discharge with sense of patriotism and responsibility,” he noted.

JDPC Program Manager, Onyekachi Ololo, called on State Government, especially the Ministry of Health and its agencies to deepen their collaboration with the SPARK Program.

He emphasized the need to ensure facilities are located in ground floors for accessibility for pregnant women, the elderly and Persons With Disabilities, (PWDs).

He thanked the IBP for its support towards making the meeting a reality.

He said, “As we continue to strengthen accountability at the primary healthcare level, we must recognize that these gains cannot be sustained by community effort alone.

“Together, we can institutionalize community feedback, improve responsiveness at PHCs, and ensure that every mother and child receives timely, quality care.

“The SPARK model has shown that accountability thrives where government institutions listen to the voices of the people they serve. “

According to SPARK 2 implementing partners, Anambra State stands at a pivotal moment, when structured collaboration with community-led accountability systems can enhance budget performance, reduce service delivery gaps, and boost confidence in the healthcare system.

For them, strengthening this partnership is not just timely but necessary for long-term impact. They called for stronger alignment with government systems to scale the wins across all LGAs.

SPARK has committed to supporting policy reforms, strengthening service delivery monitoring, and contributing to a more transparent and people-centered health governance framework in Anambra State.

COMEN and WDC members from various SPARK 2 project communities took turn to render their accountants of stewardship sparking questions and clarifications from implementing partners.