The federal government, development partners and stakeholders in the Nigeria's health sector took turn on Tuesday to pen down glowing tributes to the Society for Family Health, SFH over its impactful services across the country in the last 40 years.
Speaking variously at a commemorative event held in Abuja,where the organisation launched its book, titled:" Intentionality: Society for Family Health's 40-Year Odyssey of Bold Vision, Institutional Resilience, and Enduring Impact",they acknowledged the role SFH has played in reshaping the nation's health sector.
At the event which also featured Partnership Awards to recognise key stakeholders, speakers pledged sustained support to enable the organisation continue to give impactful lives to Nigerians.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Ali Pate, who featured as a keynote speaker at the event, spoke about the legacy, core mission and pillars of the Society for Family Health, how the organisation anchored the nation's health agenda as well as the story of SFH, elaborating on its partnership and quality impacts in Nigeria.
Speaking through his representative and Senior Special Adviser on Strategic Communication, Barr. Chinedu Moghalu, Prof. Pate noted that over the last four decades, the Society for Family Health, SFH has worked tirelessly to ensure that women and families across Nigeria have access to life serving services knowledge, empowering them to live healthier and more productive lives.
"But what stands out about the Society for Family Health, SFH is not just its ability to deliver immediate result but its foresight in building systems that ensures sustained impacts. SFH does not stop at providing care to individuals, it works to build resilient health ecosystem, training thousands of community health workers and strengthen health infrastructure to make health services more accessible, efficient and sustainable. This is one of the most significant aspects of SFH's legacy-the ability to scale solutions to a national level while maintaining the focus of community trading models.
"SFH's ability to translate old vision into action is encapsulated in the pillars that have defined its words over the years, namely:Human resources for health;Innovative health solutions;Health care financing and Community engagement.
" These pillars are not mere theoretical framework, they are strategies that have reshaped the health landscape of Nigeria, contributing directly to national priorities like Universal Health Coverage, UHC.
"One particularly known worthy element of SFH's approach is its focus on capacity building. Through innovative training programmes, SFH has equipped thousands of health professionals of our front line workers to not only deliver care but to lead health interventions their communities, "he said.
The minister said the Society for Family Health's approach represented the principles of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu's administration which he noted, recognizes health as a catalyst for national development.
Earlier in her welcome address, Prof. Ekanem Ikpi Braide, Board President of SFH, while expressing gratitude for the cooperation accorded the organisation to carry out its work, explained that SFH had started with a vision that every family, in spite of location or means of livelihood, deserves quality healthcare.
Speaking on the organisation's new strategic plan, tagged:Beyond Boundaries: 2024-2030", which seeks to build inclusive, resilient, and sustainable health systems, Prof. Ekanem said:"Today, we celebrate forty years of partnerships and progress that have transformed millions of lives. "
On her part, the Managing Director of Society for Family Health, Dr. Omokhudu Idogho,said the organisation has so far prevented over 89 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and provided 58 million Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) in Nigeria alone just as she recognised oganization's impact, sharing that it has .
Dr. Idogho particularly noted that, "In Delta State, our managed facilities have recorded zero maternal deaths over the past five years, an achievement that underscores our commitment to improving maternal health care.
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He used the occasion to introduce SFH's latest initiatives, which include SFH Access Ltd., a new entity focused on procurement, supply chain management, and telemedicine, as well as the AccessMedicine Programme, which provides life-saving non-communicable disease (NCD) medications at affordable rates.
Idogho reaffirmed the organization's commitment to fostering partnerships and leveraging technology under its "Beyond Boundaries" strategy.
He emphasized focus on driving sustainable healthcare financing and ensuring no Nigerian is left behind.
"Every milestone we've reached is a shared victory," Dr. Idogho said, inviting more stakeholders to join SFH in shaping an inclusive future for healthcare.
In a brief remark,the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Annas, thanked SFH's efforts in tackling critical health challenges in the country.
