The Kwara State Government has rolled out a new standardised health counselling system designed to ensure residents receive consistent and accurate healthcare information across hospitals, communities, and outreach programmes.

The initiative, introduced in partnership with the Society for Family Health, focuses on the deployment of an Integrated Health Facility Flip Chart for frontline health workers, State Mobilisation Officers, and community volunteers throughout the state.

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

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

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

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

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

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

According to her, the initiative is expected to bolster public awareness and service uptake in key areas including maternal and child health, routine immunisation, skilled birth attendance, malaria prevention, exclusive breastfeeding, hygiene, sanitation, and diarrhoea management. She added that State Mobilisation Officers across all 16 local government areas would coordinate the deployment of the tool at the community level.

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.

"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."

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.

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.

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

"It also provides a unified approach to counselling across facilities and communities," he said. The state government expressed optimism that the initiative would enhance community engagement, strengthen trust in public healthcare messaging, and improve overall healthcare delivery across Kwara State.