Morganable News / Communities
Anambra Groups Seek Better Primary Healthcare as civil society organisations call for stronger community participation, improved health education and greater accountability in the delivery of essential medical services.
Lagos —
Civil society organisations working in HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria prevention have called on governments, development partners and community leaders to strengthen grassroots participation in healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
The organisations made the call during a media briefing in Awka, Anambra State, on the Global Fund GC7 Integrated Community-Led Monitoring (I-CLM) Project, which is being implemented in nine primary healthcare centres across the state.
The coalition comprises the TB Network, the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) and the Association of Civil Society Organisations on Malaria, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN).
The groups are implementing the project in partnership with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria under a Global Fund-supported grant.
The organisations said community participation, health education and effective monitoring could help address barriers that prevent residents from accessing essential medical services.
Their position highlights the need to make primary healthcare more responsive to the everyday experiences of patients, particularly people who struggle with the cost of treatment or face difficulties accessing reliable medical information.
Communities Can Help Identify Healthcare Gaps
Primary healthcare centres serve as an important entry point into Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Depending on their facilities and available personnel, they provide services such as immunisation, maternal and child healthcare, health education, disease screening and treatment for common illnesses.
For many families, these centres offer a more accessible option than travelling to larger hospitals.
However, residents may encounter challenges when seeking care. These can include limited information about available services, financial difficulties, concerns about treatment and problems accessing healthcare workers.
Such barriers can discourage people from seeking medical attention early.
Community-led monitoring offers a way to identify these difficulties through the experiences of people who use healthcare facilities.
Under this approach, trained community representatives and civil society organisations gather feedback about services and communicate identified problems to relevant authorities.
For example, residents may report difficulties obtaining information about available treatments or accessing particular services.
Community monitors can document these concerns and engage facility managers or government officials to seek appropriate responses.
The approach does not replace professional medical supervision or government responsibility. Instead, it creates an additional channel through which communities can contribute to improving service delivery.
HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Remain Important Concerns
The coalition’s call focuses partly on improving responses to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
These diseases require accessible prevention information, timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and continued public awareness.
However, medical interventions alone may not address every barrier that prevents people from seeking care.
For instance, fear of discrimination can discourage some people from accessing HIV-related services. Others may misunderstand how infections spread or rely on inaccurate information shared within their communities.
Similarly, people experiencing symptoms associated with tuberculosis may delay seeking professional assessment because they do not recognise the warning signs or worry about how others will treat them.
Community organisations can help address these concerns by sharing accurate information and encouraging residents to consult qualified healthcare professionals.
They can also connect people with relevant services and explain why following prescribed treatment matters.
For malaria, community health education can support awareness of prevention measures, early recognition of symptoms and appropriate treatment.
Nevertheless, awareness campaigns must provide accurate, practical information. Residents should not be encouraged to self-diagnose or replace professional medical advice with unverified remedies.
Health Education Must Reach Everyone
The organisations also called for greater attention to health education and community empowerment.
This is important because information about healthcare services does not always reach everyone who needs it.
Some residents may have limited access to reliable information, while others may struggle to understand technical medical language.
Community leaders, local associations and health workers can help bridge this gap by sharing information in clear, accessible language.
Public awareness activities could explain where residents can obtain services, how to seek medical advice and what preventive measures are appropriate.
In addition, organisers should consider the communication needs of people with disabilities, older residents and people who may have difficulty reading.
Using different communication channels could help reach a wider audience.
For example, community meetings, local radio, information materials and outreach activities may complement one another.
However, health education should not rely on fear or stigma. Messages about HIV, TB and malaria should encourage people to seek assistance without blaming or humiliating those affected.
Respectful communication can help build trust and make residents more willing to ask questions about their health.
Funding and Insurance Are Also Necessary
Beyond community participation, the coalition emphasised the importance of adequate funding and effective implementation of healthcare interventions.
It also called for wider health insurance coverage, particularly for vulnerable residents and low-income earners who may struggle to afford medical services.
The issue matters because healthcare costs can place considerable pressure on household budgets.
Patients may need money for consultations, prescribed medicines, diagnostic tests and transportation. When these expenses become difficult to manage, some people may postpone treatment or avoid follow-up appointments.
Expanding access to health insurance could help eligible residents manage some of these costs.
However, insurance coverage must be supported by facilities capable of delivering appropriate care.
Residents also need clear information about enrolment, eligibility requirements and the services covered by their plans.
Community organisations can assist by directing people towards verified information and appropriate registration channels.
At the same time, government authorities must ensure that healthcare facilities have the personnel, equipment and essential supplies required to serve patients.
Community participation can help identify gaps, but it cannot replace the resources needed to address them.
Monitoring Must Lead to Practical Action
One major consideration is whether information gathered through community monitoring leads to measurable improvements.
Collecting complaints is useful, but the process becomes more valuable when authorities investigate concerns and take appropriate action.
For this reason, community organisations and healthcare managers should establish clear procedures for reviewing findings and following up on agreed solutions.
Where residents report recurring problems, responsible officials should examine the available evidence and determine what corrective measures are necessary.
Community representatives should also receive updates so they can communicate verified progress to residents.
However, the process must protect patients’ privacy.
Personal medical information should remain confidential, and monitoring activities should not expose people to discrimination because of their health conditions.
Organisers must also ensure that feedback is recorded accurately. Rumours should not be presented as verified findings, and individual complaints should be investigated before conclusions are drawn.
These safeguards can strengthen the credibility of community monitoring and encourage residents to participate.
Protecting Vulnerable Residents
The coalition’s recommendations also raise questions about how healthcare services can better support people who face additional barriers.
Low-income households, people living with disabilities and residents in underserved communities may require additional assistance to access appropriate care.
For example, a facility may offer an important service but remain difficult to access for someone who cannot afford transportation or needs an accessible entrance.
Similarly, people who do not understand the language used in health information may struggle to follow instructions.
Community-led monitoring can help identify these practical challenges and bring them to the attention of decision-makers.
Healthcare providers can then assess possible solutions, including clearer communication, improved accessibility and stronger referral arrangements.
Importantly, community participation should include the voices of people directly affected by these barriers.
Their experiences can help authorities understand problems that might not be obvious from administrative records alone.
Assessing the Project’s Progress
The project’s reported implementation in nine primary healthcare centres provides a basis for examining how community monitoring operates in practice.
However, the number of participating facilities alone cannot establish whether healthcare outcomes have improved across Anambra State.
A clearer assessment would require information about the concerns identified, the responses provided and the results achieved.
Useful measures could include the number of service complaints addressed, improvements in access to essential services and feedback from patients.
Organisers could also assess whether community awareness activities have helped residents understand where and how to obtain appropriate healthcare.
Publishing verified findings in accessible formats would allow residents and other stakeholders to understand the project’s progress.
It could also help identify lessons that might inform similar initiatives elsewhere.
Such assessments should distinguish between activities completed and outcomes achieved. This would ensure that reports reflect actual progress rather than assumptions about the project’s impact.
Building a More Responsive Healthcare System
The coalition’s call reinforces the importance of cooperation between government authorities, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations and residents.
Each group has a role to play in strengthening primary healthcare.
Government authorities must provide oversight and appropriate resources. Healthcare professionals must deliver services responsibly, while community organisations can help identify barriers and communicate residents’ concerns.
Residents, in turn, can contribute feedback and participate in health education activities.
Nevertheless, lasting improvements require consistent funding, reliable service delivery and clear accountability.
The next step is to ensure that recommendations from community organisations translate into practical measures that benefit patients.
If authorities respond to verified concerns and strengthen cooperation with local communities, primary healthcare centres could become more responsive to the needs of the people they serve.
Ultimately, community-led monitoring should help ensure that residents can access accurate health information, appropriate medical services and respectful treatment without unnecessary barriers.
