Health Stakeholders Evaluate Impact, Pledge Sustainability as Breakthrough ACTION Wind up Support Project in Ebonyi.

It was a moment of demonstration of values and impacts of social and behaviour change and other related health development outcomes as the USAID Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria closed out her supported health activities in Ebonyi state.

In a closeout ceremony held Tuesday in Abakaliki, the state capital, health stakeholders in the state pledged their commitment to sustaining the achievements recorded from the organisation's projects in the state.

The event was organised by Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health.

It brought together government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organizations, the media and other partners who took turns in sharing experiences, highlighting some of the visible progress recorded in the supported activities across the various communities in the state.

Wife of Ebonyi state Governor and special guest at the event, Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, commended the organization for engineering positive health behaviour in the state and raising partners who would continue to advance the projects in the state.

The Governor's wife, represented by the wife of the Chief of Staff, Nkechi Emma Echiegu, assured of government's preparedness to drive the sustainability of the project activities beyond the support of Breakthrough ACTION in the state.

Echiegu stated: "All you have done; all the people you have trained, you trained for us.

"You have done us a favour with all you have done since you came in, and it is for our use today and years to come.

"Believe you me, we are going to key into it with our whole self, our whole energy.

"You have just prepared the ground for us to work, and I assure you that in Ebonyi State, although this is a closeout event, It is an opening up of a whole new chapter."

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr, Moses Ekuma, while appraising the contributions of BA-N in the state's health sector, said the event marked a significant milestone in the stakeholders' collective journey towards enhancing social and behaviour change in healthcare in the state.

He noted that through the engagements of BA-N the state has witnessed tremendous achievements that have profoundly impacted the landscape of maternal, newborn and child health, coupled with nutrition services and other health issues.

Enumerating some of the tangible impacts of the project to include engagement and empowerment of various community structures across the state, Ekuma emphasized that the results of the collective efforts of the state and USAID BA-N were evident in the recorded significant increase in services uptake within health facilities across the state, notable increase in knowledge regarding priority health behaviours, improved provider-client relationship and improved service delivery standards, among others.

He noted that the Organisation by its activities brought about enhanced Community social and behaviour change, establishing community capacity strengthening, provider behaviour change initiative, women empowerment group as well as Social and Behaviour Change Advocacy Core Group.

Ekuma added: "One of the key achievements that we celebrate today is the realignment and revitalization of the ward Development Committees in accordance with national guidelines, equiped with enhanced capacity.

"Today, the WDCs play pivotal role in facilitating community recognition and response to health issues; advocating for quality health services, mobilizing resources and addressing underlining social and cultural barriers including gender-based biases and norms."

While further appreciating the USAID Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria for their wonderful roles in Ebonyi State, the state Commissioner for Budget and planning, Chinwe Okah, pledged to ensure its sustainability through adequate provision for the promoted health activities in the state's budget.

In their separate messages, the Project Director, Breakthrough ACTION, Ian Tweedie and the Senior Deputy Project Director, family planning and integrated social and behavior change, Dr. Shittu Abdul-Aguye, congratulated the state for the achievements so far.

Aguye explained that BA-N, was an USAID flagship project dedicated to fostering positive health behaviour in critical areas such as malaria, maternal, new born and child health, nutrition as well as family planning, reproductive health, tuberculosis as well as some zoonotic diseases, including Lassa fever and Monkey Pox, adding that since its inception in 2018, the organisation has been instrumental in driving tangible progress within communities in Nigeria.

While congratulating the state, Tweedie urged the actors to put into action their commitments moving forward, in ensuring that SBC grows from strength to strength for the health of the state and the nation.

Tweedie stressed: "we are coming to the end of Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, but this is not the end of social and behavior change in Nigeria."

The Acting state coordinator, BA-N, Rabiat Hassan-Ahmed in an opening remark stated that the essence of the event was to showcase what the project has accomplished in Ebonyi and review the state preparedness for its sustainability.

In a goodwill message, the USAID- Nigeria Health officer- Foreign Services, Melissa Freeman, expressed pride on the success stories emanating from the collaboration with the state through Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria.

She appreciated all the stakeholders in the state for offering USAID the needed cooperation, and expressed the continued willingness of USAID to partner the state in other diverse areas of needs.

Goodwill messages were also received from other partners including USAID-Integrated Health Program, World Health Organisation, among others.

Awards certificates were also given to outstanding