Kebbi, UNICEF, Canada partner to improve primary healthcare

Kebbi, UNICEF, Canada partner to improve primary healthcare

The Kebbi Government, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) are into partnership to improve the state’s health indices, especially primary healthcare and community system.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Yunusa Musa-Ismail, made this known at a two-day engagement meeting on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.

The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the meeting was organised by UNICEF, funded by Global Affairs Canada, an initiative to enhance access to gender-responsive sexual and reproductive health, maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition services.

Musa-Ismail said government had appreciated GAC for selecting Kebbi as one of the three states in the country to benefit from the initiative.

He added that “I assure you that we will do everything humanly possible to support and promote healthcare service at all levels.

“The state government provided facilities to 14 healthcare centres last year, as the 500 health workers  recruited would be trained to ensure maximum benefits and effective service delivery.”

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring successful implementation of the intervention, adding that the government would develop templates to guide the implementation.

The commissioner urged the participants to carefully study the plan to avoid making mistakes and ensure strict compliance to achieve the objectives.

Earlier, Mr Michael Juma, the Chief Field Officer, Sokoto Field Office of UNICEF, said the health indicators in the state required a lot of rethink.

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He added that nutrition, which is critical for child development remained high, with early marriage also high.

According to him, the delivery of healthcare in the 21st century is not what it used to be, saying there is need for paradigm shift.

He said “we are, therefore, targeting more than 2.6 million women and children across Kebbi, Bauchi, and Kaduna, in an initiative to address pressing challenges of adolescent pregnancy, malnutrition and anemia.

“The initiative seeks to empower women and adolescents to claim their health rights and increase accountability in service delivery.”

He described the programme as a demonstration of Kebbi’s commitment to ensure equitable and quality healthcare for the people