As part of effort to achieve glo
    bal health and as well enhance the ability of Frontline Health Workers to improve health in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has inaugurated a Technical Implementation Team (TIT) in Cross River State.
Inaugurating the Technical Implementation Team at Dannic Hotel, Calabar, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Angela Oyo-Ita charged members of the team to do their utmost best in ensuring the implementation of the project for the benefit of the state.
Prof. Oyo-Ita assured that her ministry will join hands with the World Health Organization (WHO) including other partners to ensure sustainability of the project in the state.
She thanked WHO and her partners for choosing Cross River and providing technical and financial support for  the project, adding that the administration of Senator Liyel lmoke was’ fully committed to addressing the challenges in Human Resource for Health (HRH) in the state.
In his remarks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz  represented by the state Coordinator, Dr. Thompson Igbu said WHO teamed up with partners, including The Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA) and Population Council, supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) to implement a five year 15 Million Canadian Dollars Human Resource for Health (HRH) project titled; “Enhancing the Ability of Frontline Health Workers to Improve Health in Nigeria” (2014-2018).
Dr. Vaz noted that the presentation on the project implementation plan (PIP) and year one annual work plan (AWP) consisted of detailed strategies that would guide day to day implementation and monitoring, and urged the Technical Implementation Team in the state to work assiduously in order to achieve the expected immediate and intermediate and ultimate outcomes of the project.
According to him, the project takes a comprehensive approach and focuses on addressing key HRH issues in Bauchi and Cross River states to enhance the ability of gender balanced, adequate numbers and appropriate mix of skilled, motivated and productive health workforce that is equitably distributed, efficiently managed and retained where required to serve the population with special attention for the poor women, men and children.”

He maintained that the project gives attention to HRH capacity building at the two State Ministries of Health, as well as the Federal Ministry of Health, relevant regulatory bodies and Healtli)Training Institutions.
The WHO representative further pointed out that special attention would be paid to HTI for the frontline health workers, specifically nurses and midwives, Community Health Officers(CHO) and Community Health Extension Workers with quality improvement and as well support the training institutions to regain and sustain their accreditation status among other priorities of the project.
Presenting the background and terms of reference for Technical Implementation Team for the project titled “Enhancing the Ability of Frontline Health Workers to improve Health in Nigeria”(2 4-2018), the project officer Human Resource for Health, Dr. Olumuyiwa Ojo said the project was aimed at building structures and skills at both the federal and state levels for evidence-based policy formulation, planning and implementation of programmes to improve the male and female Health workforce situation.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar