USAID, the “situation room” of the Nigerian Ministry of Women’s Affairs Commission to support orphans and vulnerable children • Today News Africa

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Anne E. Patterson joined Federal Women’s Affairs Minister Dame Pauline Tallen on Tuesday to launch a new national situation room for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the ministry.

USAID works closely with the ministry to provide multisectoral services – health, protection, household economic strengthening, and education – to vulnerable children and their caregivers as part of the President’s Emergency Plan initiative for the fight against AIDS (PEPFAR). Under the Data for Implementation (Data.FI) activity, USAID is strengthening the ministry’s capacity to monitor and improve services through the development and operationalization of effective data management systems.

“The mandate of the Department of Women’s Affairs – to promote equality and opportunity for women and to protect women and children from abuse and exploitation – also extends to all USAID programs,” Ms. Patterson said at the meeting. launch. “This new situation room is a collaboration that will help Nigeria prevent violence against women, improve the resilience of vulnerable children and their caregivers, and meet the needs of survivors of violence.

The new situation room will harmonize reporting on OVC programs and optimize the national OVC management information system and harness the power of data to help case managers respond effectively – and provide appropriate services – to help these children affected by HIV in their families and communities.

USAID works closely with the ministry to coordinate OVC interventions as part of its broader mandate to protect children and empower women, not only to mitigate HIV risks, but also to support women. caregivers to strengthen the economic resilience of their households.

Implemented by Palladium, Data.FI is one of many USAID activities that help Nigeria provide essential health and social services to nearly 500,000 vulnerable children and their caregivers, including 13,000 children living with the disease. HIV.

Last year, more than 19,000 beneficiaries received USAID-supported GBV services from 7,500 government and private health service providers who provided counseling on gender inclusion, as well as prevention and the response to gender-based violence.

“These efforts have brought us to this historic moment of opening a repositioned OVC situation room where we can easily obtain real-time data,” said Minister Tallen. “This will undoubtedly improve the generation and management of data at the national, regional and international levels. “

Today’s event was also an opportunity for Minister Tallen to present USAID with an award recognizing the Agency’s substantial investments in women and children in Nigeria over the past two decades, in a timely manner. scheduled to coincide with the annual commemoration of 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence Around the World.

“We are honored with this award,” said Patterson. “Our support for health care as well as training in the livelihoods of caregivers through the Ministry of Women’s Affairs will continue to ensure that the nutritional, educational and other needs of some of Nigerians most vulnerable are met. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to protect children and promote women’s equality.