By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has rated Gombe State as the best-performing state in primary healthcare delivery in the North-East geopolitical zone.
The UNICEF Health Officer, Mr Oluseyi Olosunde, disclosed this at an orientation workshop organised by the Gombe State Ministry of Local Government and Community Development for newly elected chairmen of the state’s 11 local government areas (LGAs) and 13 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
Olosunde attributed Gombe’s performance to sustained government efforts to strengthen primary healthcare, particularly in maternal and child health, immunisation and the development of functional primary healthcare centres (PHCs).
He commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his commitment to improving healthcare delivery at the grassroots, stressing that primary healthcare remained the most accessible form of healthcare for the majority of Nigerians, especially those in rural communities.
He, however, said the development of PHCs should not be limited to the construction of facilities, noting that they must be adequately staffed and equipped with essential medicines, electricity, water, medical equipment and functional referral systems.
The UNICEF official also urged the state to sustain implementation of the “Primary Healthcare Under One Roof” policy to improve coordination, planning and monitoring of services.
Despite the progress recorded, Olosunde identified antenatal care attendance, skilled birth attendance and exclusive breastfeeding as areas where the state still needed to improve.
Presenting the state’s second-quarter performance, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency (GSPHCDA), Mr Estakis Christopher, said immunisation coverage had improved.
He, however, identified a gap between children who received the first dose of the pentavalent vaccine and those who completed the third dose.
Christopher also attributed the disparity between total deliveries and skilled birth attendance to shortages of qualified health workers in some healthcare facilities.
The Executive Secretary of GSPHCDA, Abdurrahman Shuaibu, said the workshop was designed to equip the council chairmen with knowledge of their responsibilities, promote political ownership, improve budget prioritisation and encourage local resource mobilisation for primary healthcare.
He urged the chairmen to strengthen collaboration with development partners and take active roles in routine immunisation and other health campaigns.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Barrister Sani Ahmad Haruna, said the state was “on the right track” in primary healthcare delivery, attributing the progress to the commitment of the governor and sustained support for health workers and facilities.
Haruna called for stronger collaboration between PHC authorities and local government chairmen to enhance ownership, accountability and service delivery.
He advocated increased funding for healthcare, greater utilisation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and improved access to services in remote communities.
The commissioner also called for consideration of free medication for people living with sickle cell disease and regular review meetings among stakeholders to assess progress.
“Pregnancy should not be a death sentence. Why should a woman who is giving life lose her own life in the process?” he asked.
Gombe Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya
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