Yobe scales up campaign against GBV as it records 1,000 cases
By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Yobe State Government, on Friday commenced capacity building training for civil society groups to scale up the campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and the Prevention and Response to Sexual Assault (PRS).
The new approach involves integrating the campaign into the state Cerebro Spinal Meningitis programme.
The programme is being executed with the support of Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance of the U.S Agency for International Development.
The WHO PRS Coordinator, Sylvia Opinia, represented by Dr Inigbehe Oyinloye, said seven Civil Society Organisations will be supported to conduct eight weeks of community engagement across six local government areas (LGAs).
The LGAs are Fika, Potiskum, Nangere, Nguru, Damaturu and Bade.
“This capacity building is to increase awareness of GBV, its consequences, and the role of health workers in supporting survivors in the context of meningitis response.
“It is also aimed at creating awareness of PRSEAH (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment) and its reporting among the communities, as well as to break the culture of silence and address the stigmatisation of survivors,” she said.
Sylvia explained the training will be integrated with key messages of meningitis to raise awareness across the LGAs.
In his welcome address, Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawan Gana, represented by the Executive Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Medical and Ambulance Services, Abdullahi Danchuwa, who is also the Chairman, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, said over 1,000 cases of GBV were recorded in the state in 2023.
He said CSOs are playing very significant role of watching over what happens in the society.
“Yobe state government has zero tolerance for GBV and we will continue to partner you in ensuring the cases of GBV are reduced to barest minimum.
“Over 1,000 cases of the crime were recorded within the state in the year 2023 alone,” the commissioner said.
He charged them not to be found wanting in the discharge of their duties as doing so will jeopardize the successes recorded in the last few years.
The training is in response to Yobe state request during WHO’s 13th Joint Operations Review meeting held in Yola, Adamawa State.
Over 20 participants are attending the capacity building training in Damaturu.
