The World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) have acknowledged the strides made by the Abia State government in the health sector and pledged more support.
The organisations at a one day orientation workshop in Umuahia for local government chairmen and deputies on Operationalization of Abuja Commitment to Polio Eradication (Polio Eradication, Routine Immunization strengthening, PHC Revitalization) promised to grow the partnership with the state government in materials, training and financing to enable it improve even more in the ranking.
The Abia state Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Bernard Egwu, said at the engagement meeting that the retrofitting of health facilities and the ongoing 200 Primary Health Centers in 100 days, tagged Project Ekwueme, has earned the State a special recognition.
Consequently, Abia state won $200,000 in recognition of efforts in the health sector, Egwu said.
“However, we recognize that there is still much to be done. National Primary Health Care Development Agency will continue to support to ensure that the programmes of the Agency are fully implemented,” he assured.
He called on the local government chairmen to imbibe the vision of the federal and State governments on health to ensure the success of the primary health care programme, explaining that the aim would be defeated if the impact was not felt in the communities.
Also, the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Enoch Uche, outlined the achievements in the health sector, describing them as deliberate and intentionally designed to change the narrative of health sector neglect and decayed infrastructure.
He said the project Ekwueme, 200 primary health care centers in 100 days, was about 60% completed across the 184 wards of the state, in addition to the establishment of three tertiary health institutions in the three senatorial zones.
Also, the government had successfully embarked on free medical outreaches to the citizenry, retrofitting of general hospitals and generally making health care accessible and affordable for all.
Uche called on the third tier of government to key into the vision and ensure that the communities benefit from the government’s good intentions.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of Abia State Primary Health Care, ASPHCDA, Kalu Ulu, said the meeting was organized to share the vision with the local government chairmen and extract commitment from them for partnership.
“We can’t have primary health care without talking about community participation.
“We must all cue into the vision of Governor Alex Otti to give Abia State the health service that is of the highest quality,” he said, adding, “building structures without manning the facilities will amount to failure.”
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the chairman of Umuahia North Council, Smart Iheoma, said their responsibility was to ensure the success of the primary health care programme in their domain.
He, however, expressed concern that some health facilities in some rural areas of the local government do not have personnel and urged his colleagues to search for such centers in their areas and report the same to the relevant authority.
