ACOMIN/K&TRC engages Ero Community Stakeholders in Focus Group Discussion on Community-Led Monitoring Project

Community stakeholders in Ero, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, gathered recently for a focus group discussion organized under the Global Fund-supported Community-Led Monitoring Project. The initiative, implemented through the K&TRC CLM team forms part of the Community Engagement Strategic Initiative (CE-SI) aimed at improving healthcare service delivery, particularly in the fight against malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

The Program Officer, Oluwabukola Aremu, who introduced the objectives of the CE-SI project explained that the initiative seeks to address health challenges through strategic collaboration with community leaders, philanthropists, and key stakeholders, emphasizing the need for community ownership in the process.

In his remarks, the Ondo State ACOMIN Chairman, Mr. Junaid Adeyemi, outlined the progress made since the inception of the project in 2021 across several local government areas. He announced the extension of the project to the Ero community and expressed optimism that, with the support of local stakeholders, the initiative would yield significant success in the area.

The traditional leader and regent of Ero, Mrs. Gbadeogun Ronke, expressed gratitude to the CE-SI team for bringing the initiative to the community. She pledged the support of the people and promised to work closely with the project team to ensure its successful implementation.

Discussions during the focus group revealed several key findings across different thematic areas. In terms of social and behavioral change, participants demonstrated a good level of awareness about malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. They attributed their knowledge to sources such as radio programs, town criers, health talks, schools, and antenatal sessions for pregnant women. However, a recurring concern among participants was the lack of access to insecticide-treated nets. Over 80% of those present lamented that it had been a long time since the government last distributed the nets, and even commercial availability was limited.

Under the Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) theme, participants noted that while they knew where to access treatment for the mentioned diseases, affordability remained a major issue. The cost of malaria treatment, in particular, was described as discouraging, and some health workers were reported to have poor attitudes toward patients.
Participants generally agreed that there had been no reported discrimination in access to healthcare at the facility. They appreciated the fact that human rights were respected, and everyone had equal access to care. However, concerns were raised about the governance structure of the health facility, particularly the non-functional state of the Ward Development Committee (WDC).

Several participants reported that the WDC no longer holds monthly meetings, and the current chairman, Chief Aruwajoye, is no longer active due to old age. The regent confirmed she was unaware of any recent WDC activity, although a representative of the chairman was present at the meeting. It was suggested that new members, including a deputy chairman, be added to the committee.

The regent assured the CE-SI team of the community’s readiness to support the reactivation of the WDC and promised to provide timely feedback. The WDC chairman’s representative also pledged to follow up on the matter.

The Program Officer, Oluwabukola Aremu, thanked all participants for their valuable contributions and participation. She expressed hope that the collaborative efforts between the community and the CE-SI team would bring about lasting improvements in healthcare delivery in Ero.