Abbas Bamalli
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it has spent over N2 billion to improve Primary Health Care (PHC) across Jigawa.
UNICEF’s Chief of Health, Eduardo Celades, stated this on Thursday at a two-day media dialogue and field trip on ‘Strengthening PHC Systems in the state held in Dutse, Jigawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that journalists from Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Abuja and other states were brought together for the dialogue.
The programme was organised by UNICEF PHC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in collaboration with the Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information.
Celades said the funding from ‘Gavi’, was meant to strengthen primary healthcare services and ensure access to quality healthcare in the state.
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The chief of health added that the MoU was signed in 2022 between Jigawa government, federal government, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Gavi, and UNICEF.
This, he said, was to improve routine immunisation, strengthen PHC systems, and reduce deaths, especially among women and children.
“This investment is a significant step towards achieving our goal of universal healthcare coverage in Nigeria. We are proud to be working with the government and people of Jigawa to improve the health and well-being of their communities.
“Primary healthcare is the foundation of any healthcare system, and it is essential that we invest in it to ensure that all Nigerians have access to quality healthcare services.
“Our efforts in the state are focused on improving immunisation coverage, increasing access to essential medicines, and strengthening the healthcare workforce.
“The investment will support government’s efforts to extend essential healthcare services to underserved communities, particularly in rural areas,” he said.
According to him, every Nigerian deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of his/her location or socio-economic status.
The chief of health explained that UNICEF’s efforts in Jigawa were part of a broader strategy to strengthen primary healthcare in the country.
“UNICEF is working with the government and other partners to develop a comprehensive plan to improve primary healthcare services across the country.
“This plan includes increasing funding for primary healthcare, improving data collection and management, and addressing the shortage of health workers,” he noted.
The state’s Immunisation Officer and Coordinator of Gavi MoU at the Sakwaya Community PHC centre in Dutse, Malam Hassan Shu’aibu said the aim is to revitalise PHC in the state, and also to provide integrated services, especially at the community levels.
He enumerated the focus of the services to include, leadership and governance, service delivery, human resource management, logistics and supply chain management, data management, and health financing.
“To achieve this, we embarked on a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening our PHCs. We built quarters for midwives, optimised our facilities, and provided training for healthcare workers.
“We also worked to scale up routine immunisation services and create demand for our services through community engagement. One of our key successes has been the integration of our facilities with Antenatal Care (ANC) services.
“This means that we provide comprehensive care for mothers and children, from pregnancy to childbirth and beyond,” he said.
Shu’aibu pointed out that they made significant progress in scaling up routine immunisation services, with a focus on increasing coverage and equity.
He disclosed that the project was supported by the state and local governments, and other partners, adding that the total budget for 2024 was estimated at over N60 million.
(NAN)
