Kwara to standardise health counselling across hospitals

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The Kwara State Government has introduced a new standardised health counselling system aimed at ensuring residents receive uniform and accurate healthcare information across hospitals, communities, and outreach programmes.

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The initiative, launched in collaboration with Society for Family Health, centres on the deployment of an Integrated Health Facility Flip Chart for frontline health workers, State Mobilisation Officers, and community volunteers across the state.

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The development was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Press Secretary of the Kwara State Ministry of Health, Saad Hamdalat, a copy of which was made available to The PUNCH in Ilorin.

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The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, said the intervention is expected to address inconsistencies in health communication, improve public understanding of healthcare services, and strengthen behavioural change campaigns at the grassroots level.

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Represented at the launch by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Fakoyode Oluwatosin, the commissioner stressed that the state was prioritising a unified approach to health education as part of efforts to improve healthcare outcomes.

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She said, “Health promotion remains the backbone of effective public health interventions. Without it, we cannot achieve meaningful or sustained impact.”

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“This tool will help drive behaviour change and improve how communities engage with health services.”

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El-Imam explained that the flip chart would serve as a structured visual guide to help health personnel deliver clear and consistent counselling messages during antenatal clinics, immunisation exercises, community outreaches, and household visits.

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According to her, the initiative is expected to strengthen public awareness and service uptake in key areas such as maternal and child health, routine immunisation, skilled birth attendance, malaria prevention, exclusive breastfeeding, hygiene, sanitation, and diarrhoea management.

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She added that State Mobilisation Officers in all 16 local government areas would coordinate the deployment of the tool at the community level.

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Also speaking, the Reproductive Health Coordinator at the Kwara State Ministry of Health, Dr. Kafayat Kofo, said the flip chart harmonises messaging across reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent healthcare services, as well as selected non-communicable diseases.

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“This is more than a communication tool. It is a standardised behavioural change resource that ensures communities receive the right information in a clear and relatable way.”

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Kofo noted that the initiative would help eliminate conflicting health messages and improve the quality of counselling provided by frontline health workers across the state.

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In his remarks, the MIS Adviser for Society for Family Health, Mr. Adetayo Adedotun, said the initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen primary healthcare communication systems and improve programme performance.

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“This initiative supports the delivery of consistent, high-quality health education and aligns with efforts to improve service uptake and overall programme performance.

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“It also provides a unified approach to counselling across facilities and communities,” he said.

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The state government expressed optimism that the initiative would improve community engagement, strengthen trust in public healthcare messaging, and enhance overall healthcare delivery across Kwara State.

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