The Lagos State Ministry of Health has trained healthcare workers on the prevention and management of sexual assault cases.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, in a statement on Monday, said the training equipped health workers with the knowledge and skills to provide professional, compassionate, and timely care to survivors.

Folasade Oludara, director of family health and nutrition at the ministry, said the growing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities necessitated the upskilling of healthcare workers who are often the first responders to survivors.

Ms Oludara, represented by Oluwatosin Onasanya, the deputy director of child health, said the government recognised the critical role of health professionals in both clinical management and legal documentation of sexual assault cases.

She disclosed that the state government had already provided equipment and specimen collection tools to health facilities, noting that the training complemented this investment by building the competence of personnel handling such sensitive cases.

Ms Oludara said doctors and nurses at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels who serve as first contact points for survivors were carefully selected from all 57 LGAs and LCDAs, particularly from areas with higher incident rates.

The SGBV programme manager at the health ministry, Juradat Aofiyebi, emphasised that the capacity-building initiative was a strategic step toward improving survivor-centred healthcare delivery and prosecution outcomes.

She said the ministry would sustain such training to ensure that every survivor presented at a Lagos health facility received quality, non-judgmental care.

Adebanke Ogunde, deputy director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, highlighted the importance of medical documentation in sexual assault trials.

“Your medical reports are crucial; they can determine whether justice is served or denied,” she said.

Ms Ogunde reminded health workers of their legal duty to report suspected sexual assault cases to the police or the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA)

Similarly, Oluwajimi Sodipo, consultant family physician at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), underscored the importance of timely medical attention, psychosocial support, and non-stigmatising care for survivors.

Mr Sodipo explained that immediate presentation within 72 hours of assault improved chances of preventing infections and collecting viable forensic evidence.

He called for the strengthening of DNA and forensic capacities, improved insurance coverage, and better remuneration for healthcare workers.

Also, Margret Anyebe, claims officer, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), said domestic and sexual violence response had been integrated into the ILERA EKO Health Insurance Scheme.

Ms Anyebe explained that survivors of sexual and domestic violence are covered for medical treatment, investigations, and follow-up care under the state’s Equity Fund for vulnerable groups.

“Hospitals are to provide first-line care, document, and refer survivors appropriately, while LASHMA ensures prompt reimbursement and oversight,” she said.

(NAN)