IBADAN – In a bid to enhance service delivery and address critical gaps in healthcare access across Oyo State, the non-governmental organization, PriHEMAC , in partnership with NEPWHAN, held a stakeholder and awareness meeting with the Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA) on Friday.
The meeting focused on the implementation of the ongoing Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) project, a project funded by the Global Fund.
The initiative aims to utilize community structures to identify and resolve barriers to healthcare, particularly concerning malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV services.
Speaking at the meeting, the Oyo State NEPWHAN Programs Officer, Mr. Olatokunbo Famiyesin, explained that the CLM is designed to empower community members to take ownership of health interventions.
“The integrated CLM is basically a community-led project where we engage committee members to drive the processes themselves for better results and better integration into government systems,” Famiyesin stated. “We work in communities and healthcare facilities, where data collectors assess service delivery gaps—ranging from accessibility and affordability to stock-outs—and interface directly with clients to harvest their feedback.”
According to Famiyesin, once gaps are identified, they are either addressed through community engagement or escalated to facility heads.
If challenges persist at the facility level, they are formally reported to the state government for intervention.
However, PRIHEMAC Programs Officer, Mrs. Folasade Akintola, highlighted pressing challenges currently affecting the HIV response.
She noted that monitoring activities revealed a shortage of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), as well as inadequate supplies of condoms and lubricants in facilities such as Alafara PHC and St. Mary’s, Eletta.
Furthermore, Akintola raised concerns over the inactivity of support groups for people living with HIV (PLHIV).
She explained that the withdrawal of donor funding, which previously covered transportation and refreshments for attendees, has led to a decline in participation and, consequently, poor adherence to medication.
“Most people do not go to pick up their drugs anymore because they say they do not have money for transport.
Even with our counseling on adherence, the lack of support groups is significantly affecting their drug pick-ups,” Akintola said.
Responding to these findings, the OYSACA Community Mobilization Officer, Mrs. Ajao Fausat assured the partners that the agency is working to resolve the commodity supply issues at the affected primary healthcare centers in the near future.
OYSACA also emphasized the importance of sustainability and the need for collaborative resource mobilization.
The agency noted that it is currently leveraging a technical working group to engage corporate organizations in supporting health responses, as donor funding continues to decline.
The Oyo State ACOMIN Lead, Pastor Olusegun Adio, echoed these sentiments, urging OYSACA to strengthen its collaboration with the Ministry of Health to bridge identified service gaps.
OYSACA officials further challenged the partners to utilize their existing networks to create localized support systems for PLHIV, framing such initiatives as essential empowerment tools to complement government interventions.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the OYSACA Director of Administration and Supply, Mrs. Olanlawon Fausat, and other representatives from PriHEMAC, NEPWHAN, and the state health agency.
