Helen Keller Int’l Celebrates 25 Years of Impact in Nigeria, Calls for Govt Collaboration

Helen Keller Int’l Celebrates 25 Years of Impact in Nigeria, Calls for Govt Collaboration

Joel Oladele, Abuja 

Helen Keller International (HKI) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in its mission to combat neglected tropical diseases and malnutrition. 

At an event held in Abuja on Friday, to commemorate this achievement, the Country Director for HKI Nigeria, Ali Mohammed highlighted the organization’s extensive impact over the past quarter-century and emphasized the need for increased government collaboration to sustain and expand these efforts.

According to him, the organization has been operating in one-third of the country, affecting more than 73 million people.

 “We are delivering essential commodities to eliminate neglected tropical diseases and reduce malnutrition among women and children. This is our biggest achievement,” stated Mohammed. He further explained that many areas have seen a significant reduction in the need for treatment due to HKI’s sustained efforts.

One of the notable successes is in the fight against trachoma, a disease that can cause irreversible blindness. He noted that HKI has conducted surgeries for over 10,000 people in Katsina and Adamawa states, allowing them to regain their sight and resume their livelihoods, thus improving their socio-economic conditions.

Speaking further, Mohamed said the organization’s work is not limited to direct interventions as it has  focused on strengthening local health systems by training mothers and health workers, ensuring the sustainability of its programs. “We have trained health workers and mothers, providing them with the technical expertise to continue our efforts independently,” Mohammed explained. This capacity-building approach ensures that the positive impacts are enduring.

A key theme of the anniversary celebration was the emphasis on collaboration with the Nigerian government to ensure sustainability. Mohammed highlighted the importance of government ownership of health initiatives to maintain the progress achieved. “The personnel we train are paid by the government, and they provide office space. However, we need more counter-funding from the government to sustain these activities.

“We have some places where indeed the government has started taking ownership of the activities we are implementing. Our role is to provide the additional technical support they require the additional financial support order for them to continue doing. 

“For example, Akwa-Ibom, Akwa-Ibom in the past, we used to pay for radio jingles. As we speak over the last three years, we have a strong partnership with the Ministry of Information and every social orientation, social awareness campaigns that we’re doing, we are getting it for free, not for free because it’s paid for by the Government at the media houses in Akwa Ibom State. “And we understand yes, there are some funding which are been provided by other partners, our state partners in other states, that is also huge for us, but they need to do more. They need to do if we have to really go towards transitioning the activities we have been in the system that exists within the state,” he stressed.

The Vitamin A Supplement Coordinator, Delphine Danboyi, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of government engagement and sustainability. “Our goal is for the government to carry on these interventions independently, ensuring that our contributions have a lasting impact,” she said.

She added that the organization is mulling possible expansion provided the needed supports are given.

“We’re hoping to expand, we’re dealing with donors and then it’s something that has to do with what Helen Keller is looking for to expand as long as we get the funding. We don’t mind if we are in the 36 states in Nigeria, but not to say that there are other partners that are also supporting the same course that we’re doing especially for vitamin A. 

“We have Nutrition International, UNICEF is also there. So there are other partners now in other parts of the state, where we projected was just the part of the states that we cover, but definitely, there will be room hopefully for expansion to most states,” Danboyi noted.