With the assurance of complete confidentiality provided by
the healthcare professional, Amina felt comfortable sharing her experience of
abuse.
“I was asleep when I felt the inappropriate touch. I began
struggling and crying, begging him to stop. But he was much stronger and raped
me, she says in a shaky voice.
The perpetrator whom she sees daily threatened to kill her
and her family if they reported. She lived in silence, fear, and trauma for
over two months, until her guardian took her to the health centre to seek
professional health.
After three weeks of professional care, Amina says “I am
happy to seek help. I now know I did nothing wrong nor was it my fault. I am
learning to look at life positively and will go back to school to complete my
education.
The health workers provide professional and emotional
support, including medical check-ups and alerting the authorities on
gender-based violence reported in the facility.
Like Amina, many women and children in the locality have
suffered sexual and gender-based violence, but only a few summoned the courage
to seek help. Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive issue, affecting
millions of people, especially people in humanitarian-affected regions like
Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states (BAY), northeast Nigeria.
Currently, about 2.1 million vulnerable persons in the BAY
states require protection against gender-based violence in 2024, due to the
prolonged humanitarian crisis. Of which, 1.3 million people are targeted, and
about, 500,000 are women, 800,000 are children, and about 9% are people living
with disabilities.
This year, Yobe state has reported over 490 GBV cases from
January to April 2024. The World Health
Organization (WHO), with funding from the United States Agency for
International Development/Bureau for Humanitarian Aid (USAID/BHA) is strengthening the capacity of 130 primary
healthcare workers in the state to respond to sexual and gender-based violence
(GBV) and provide survivor-centred care.
In collaboration with over 10 civil society organizations
(CSOs), WHO is supporting Yobe State government to facilitate access to quality
health services for survivors of GBV with medical and psychological needs in
the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
A health worker at the facility Musa Adamu (name changed),
says “Sometimes victims do not realize they are being abused or are scared to
reach out for help, fearing it will aggravate the problems or that the services
will not be confidential.
We offer a patient-centred approach, we not only provide
medical and psychosocial help but also educate the community on sexual and
gender-based violence and the need for timely medical help”.
The services provided in the safe centres include treatment
of physical injuries, prevention of HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, sexually
transmitted infections and counselling for severe psychological problems. The
team also raise awareness within the communities on the importance of timely
medical and psychological care through health education and outreach
activities.
“WHO’s leadership in championing GBV response services is
very commendable,” says Mr Abudllahi Danchuwa, the Chairman, of the Committee
for the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). “WHO provides relentless support
in ensuring underserved and exposed populations have access to GBV by impacting
health providers with skills to identify signs of violence, deliver appropriate
first-line support including psychosocial support, as well as provide
appropriate referrals to higher health facilities and social support services
if needs be.
“They also provided technical support, equipping SAR
Centres, and on-the-job mentoring. I am optimistic that the collaboration will
continue and that vulnerable people will continue to have access to GBV
services, added My Danchuwa.
The support provided is in line with the fourth WHO Nigeria
Country Corporation Strategy (CCSIV), and the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp),
among other priorities championed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, to
improve the quality of care and service delivery in PHCs, thereby ensuring
access to health services.
“Sexual assault, domestic violence, women and child abuse
are all emergencies, affecting thousands of people in Yobe state. WHO
acknowledges a responsibility to support the government in responding to the
needs of the most affected population. As such, WHO is ensuring that health
providers at the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and health champions acquire the
relevant skills to enable them to identify women in danger before the violence
escalates, provide appropriate clinical care, reduce negative health outcomes
of violence, assist survivors in accessing help, says Ms Sylvia Opinia, WHO
Coordinator for the Prevention and Response to Sexual Misconduct.
Besides the PHC approach, the state ensured that GBV
services are provided to vulnerable populations in underserviced communities
through the WHO-supported mobile hard-to-reach teams and Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs).
“In the first quarter of 2024, at least 66,000 persons were
reached with GBV messages through the WHO-supported mobile hard-to-reach teams.
Of the number reached, about 40 persons were referred for further management,
added Dr Kumshida Balami, WHO Interim Northeast Emergency Manager.
“This strategic approach is part of WHO’s commitment to
strengthen the health system in Yobe state, adds Dr Balami.