Health
Lagos trains health workers in sexual assault case management
By Ayoola Babalola
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has trained 50 medical social workers and commenced a separate training programme for doctors and other healthcare workers on the prevention and management of sexual assault cases.
The training, organised in partnership with the state Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of health workers to provide psychosocial, clinical and forensic support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Affairs Officer of the DSVA, Onadipe Opebere, and made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday.
According to the statement, 50 medical social workers drawn from health facilities across the state underwent one-day training on September 3, with emphasis on providing appropriate psychosocial support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
It said the training focused on active listening, empathy and a survivor-centred approach, noting that medical social workers were often among the first points of contact for survivors entering the healthcare system.
Building on the training, the agency on Wednesday commenced a two-day programme for medical doctors on the prevention and management of sexual assault.
The programme runs through Thursday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The first day covered the meaning and types of gender-based violence, the magnitude of sexual assault, the influence of cultural norms and beliefs on survivors, survivors’ rights, rape-kit procedures, and the recording and reporting of sexual and gender-based violence cases.
Participants also examined the state’s existing structures and services for sexual assault survivors, as well as its mandatory reporting policy.
The Head of Case Management at the DSVA, Oluwatumininu Oni, led the session on the state’s response structures and mandatory reporting requirements, while a Consultant Family Physician, Oluwajimi Sodipo, facilitated the session on sexual assault management.
The second day will focus on the practical aspects of caring for survivors, including history-taking, informed consent, general examination, genital anatomy, case scenarios, and completion of medical reports, treatment and disease prevention.
According to the statement, participants will also be trained on coordinating care through referral networks and forensic evidence collection.
The forensic component includes DNA evidence collection, forensic screening of evidence and a practical demonstration of the use of rape kits. Medico-legal issues will also be examined during the training.
The session is being facilitated by a Forensics Investigation Expert, Avril Eyewu-Edero.
Declaring the training open, the Executive Secretary of the DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to equipping health workers to respond to survivors “with skill and sensitivity.”
The agency said both training programmes were designed as interactive and practical sessions, incorporating case scenarios and demonstrations alongside structured periods for participants to reflect on and discuss their experiences.
It said the approach was intended to move the training beyond definitions and policies to the practical realities health workers face when dealing with survivors, from the initial conversation with a survivor to the collection of forensic evidence that could support a case in court.
The statement said the two programmes formed part of the state government’s strategy to strengthen the survivor-care chain by linking psychosocial support provided by medical social workers with the clinical and forensic response of doctors and other healthcare workers.
The agency said the training was also intended to improve coordination among responders and ensure that survivors receive appropriate support from their first contact with the healthcare system.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
