Delta State Government, on Thursday, received $400,000 from the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, organized by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for outstanding performance in primary health care management.

The award, which was organized in collaboration with UNICEF was in recognition of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s initiative in the health sector for the past one-year, in line with the MORE agenda of his administration.

Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State were present during the handover of the prize and money to Delta State Government officials.

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, and the Director-General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Isaac Akpoveta, were on ground to receive the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori.

The award, which started in 2019, is to shore up performance at the Primary Health Care level so as to make healthcare more accessible to the people at the grassroots.

It is the first time since the inception of the awards that Delta would be considered for mention in any category of recognition. It had never won any prize money.

After receiving the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori, Dr Onojaeme said that the award was proof that the administration’s MORE agenda was on course and yielding positive results.

He disclosed that Governor Oborevwori’s determination and commitment to revamping the health sector was not in doubt, adding that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 Primary Health Care centres must have been pivotal to the state earning the award.

Delta State was considered for the award after a visit of the technical committee set up to assess the state of PHCs in all 36 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital.

The committee comprised representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank and the United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among others.