Health
Challenges Before The NPHCDA
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) was set up in 1992 to extend healthcare delivery services to the rural areas, a role it took over from the Federal Ministry of Health.
The Agency plans to solve more than 70 percent of the nation’s health care problem by collaborating with the rest of the health system. It also draws upon as much resources as it can from within and outside the country.
Since 1999 the NPHCDA has built 200 health centres in wards throughout the 36 states and Abuja. Each of the 200 health centres is equipped with facilities for the implementation of a community-based PHC work plan.
In addition, one million treated insecticide bed nets have been distributed to pregnant/nursing mothers nationwide as part of the move to achieve the goals of Roll Back Malaria in the country.
These activities have consequently advanced the progress of improving the health and quality of lives of the people.
Primary healthcare agency has made some progress in polio reduction as it has also trained traditional birth attendants and midwives, through the Midwifery Service Scheme.
A year ago, the agency carried out a nationwide integrated measles campaign to forestall epidemic in the country.
Dr Mohammed Pate, former Executive Director of the agency describes the exercise as an “injection that needed more qualified health workers to deliver”.
Pate also says: “There is a nationwide integrated measles campaign so that we don’t have measles epidemic in 2011.
“I don’t want to be in a position whereby we are reacting to an epidemic, we should be preventing this epidemic from happening.”
He says that the micro planning will be done with the states, adding that the campaign which will begin soon, will be in two phases.
“January is for the Northern states while February is for the Southern states,” he said.
In 2011, the agency also immunised 50 million children against polio and 13 million against measles.
The integrated vaccination campaign began in late January of 2011, distributing measles vaccines to the northern states and oral polio vaccine nationwide.
The second phase in February of the same year included measles vaccine for children under five years in the 17 southern states and oral polio vaccines nationwide.
In 2010, the country recorded only 11 cases of polio virus compared to 338 cases in 2009 but in 2011, 44 cases were recorded.
Dr Emmanuel Abamida, former Acting Executive Director, explains that the immunisation campaigns organised by the agency were interrupted by numerous political situations and events going on in the country between 2010 and 2011.
He says within the two years, the country witnessed voter registration and elections which he said, largely accounted for the low turnout of children for the immunisation exercises as their parents were also engaged in the electoral processes.
“Many of those responsible for ensuring that children were immunised ran to where the electoral processes were conducted, which made the turnout and quality of the polio campaign to be very low.
“ Unfortunately, we did all our immunisation exercises on Saturdays, which were also the days of elections”.
“It was hard to convince people to take their children for immunisation rather than go for voting or the electoral processes which they were interested in”.
Abanida notes that although some setbacks were observed, the agency is quickly engaging all the governors to buy into the immunisation campaign.
In an effort to address the poor Maternal and Child Health (MCH) outcomes and get Nigeria on the track towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, on maternal and child health, the Federal Government introduced the Midwifery Service Scheme (MSS).
In 2010, the Federal Government trained 2,488 midwives in life-saving skills and integrated management of childhood illness and a year later, the number trained increased to 4,000 qualified midwives.
The MSS was scaled up to cover 1,000 rural Primary Healthcare Centres in 36 States and FCT while 1,000 community health workers were enrolled in the scheme. The rural facilities were organised with 250 general hospitals providing back-up referral support.According to data, the number of babies born nationwide under the MSS rose to 42,000 in 2010 from 27,000 in 2009, indicating that the measure will undoubtedly reduce maternal mortality rate and improve basic services.
Data were collected from 652 facilities across the 36 states and FCT, covering a population of 10.7 million, from July 2009 to December, 2010.
“Women receiving two doses of tetanus toxic during antenatal care in 2009 were 96,000, while in 2010, the figure was 110,000, representing 30 per cent increase.
“For those attending family planning clinics in 2009 were 24,000 women while in 2010, the figure had risen to 55,000.’’
However, it has been observed that lack of resources has hindered further recruitment of midwives by the agency.
Dr Ado Mohammed, the new Executive Director of the agency, promises to evolve strategies to ensure all priority activities are implemented within the limit of funding.
“Under my administration, NPHCDA will continue to build on achievements of its seven goals and vision of making Nigerians healthier by intensifying the fight against wild polio virus as a national priority”.
According to him, NPHCDA will expand and sustain the midwifery service scheme and reinforce the concept of primary health care under one roof to improve access to quality health care delivery.
He reassures both local and international partners of his commitment to continue to work closely with them to achieve the aims and objectives of the agency.
He also promises transparency and accountability for meeting the agency’s national objectives in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Observers say although the agency has recorded a modest achievements, the litmus test is meeting with the set targets of the Millennium Development Goals in maternal and child health as the country inches towards 2015.
Ofili writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Francis Ofili
To address the increasing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities, the State Ministry of Health has trained healthcare workers on the prevention and management of sexual assault cases.
The Director, Public Affairs in the ministry, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, in a statement on Monday said the training equipped health workers with the knowledge and skills to provide professional, compassionate, and timely care to survivors.
Dr Folasade Oludara, Director, Family Health and Nutrition, State Ministry of Health, said the growing number of rape and defilement cases in Lagos communities necessitated the upskilling of healthcare workers who are often the first responders to survivors.
Oludara, represented by Dr Oluwatosin Onasanya, Deputy Director, Child Health, said the government recognised the critical role of health professionals in both clinical management and legal documentation of sexual assault cases.
She explained that the training was designed to ensure healthcare workers are adequately equipped to identify, document, and manage sexual assault cases effectively.
According to her, the training will strengthen Lagos’ coordinated health system response to gender-based violence.
She disclosed that the state government had already provided equipment and specimen collection tools to health facilities, noting that the training complemented this investment by building the competence of personnel handling such sensitive cases.
Oludara explained that doctors and nurses at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels who serve as first contact points for survivors were carefully selected from all 57 LGAs and LCDAs, particularly from areas with higher incident rates.
The SGBV Programme Manager, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Juradat Aofiyebi, emphasised that the capacity-building initiative was a strategic step toward improving survivor-centred healthcare delivery and prosecution outcomes.
Aofiyebi added that the training underscored the government’s commitment to reducing the prevalence of sexual assault through a robust, multi-sectoral approach.
“The training provides healthcare workers with the knowledge to properly identify survivors, document findings accurately, and provide comprehensive care, all of which contribute to justice delivery and prevention of repeat offences.
She said the ministry would sustain such training to ensure that every survivor who presented at a Lagos health facility received quality, non-judgmental care.
Mrs Adebanke Ogunde, Deputy Director, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, highlighted the importance of medical documentation in sexual assault trials.
She explained that most convictions hinge on the quality of medical reports and forensic evidence provided by healthcare professionals, noting that medical reports served as vital corroborative evidence in court, particularly in cases involving children.
“Your medical reports are crucial; they can determine whether justice is served or denied,” she said.
Ogunde reminded health workers of their legal duty to report suspected sexual assault cases to the police or the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
Similarly, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, Consultant Family Physician, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), underscored the importance of timely medical attention, psychosocial support, and non-stigmatising care for survivors.
Sodipo explained that immediate presentation within 72 hours of assault improved chances of preventing infections and collecting viable forensic evidence.
He commended Lagos State for sustaining its inter-agency collaboration and continuous professional training on SGBV.
Sodipo, however, called for the strengthening of DNA and forensic capacities, improved insurance coverage, and better remuneration for healthcare workers.
“We must sustain motivation and continuous retraining if we want to retain skilled professionals and enhance justice outcomes,” he added.
Also, Mrs Margret Anyebe, Claims Officer, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), said domestic and sexual violence response had been integrated into the ILERA EKO Health Insurance Scheme.
Anyebe explained that survivors of sexual and domestic violence are covered for medical treatment, investigations, and follow-up care under the state’s Equity Fund for vulnerable groups.
“Hospitals are to provide first-line care, document, and refer survivors appropriately, while LASHMA ensures prompt reimbursement and oversight,” she said.
The technical session of the ongoing National Council on Health (NCH) meeting on Monday reviewed 35 out of the 82 policy memos submitted ahead of full Council deliberations scheduled for later in the week.
Dr Kamil Shoretire, Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, disclosed this on Tuesday during the Technical Session of the 66th Regular meeting of the NCH ongoing in Calabar, Cross River.
He said that 10 of the memos considered were recommended for Council’s approval, eight were noted, and 18 stepped down for further work.
According him, two additional memos were deferred and will be re-presented after revisions are made.
At the reconvening of the session, Ms Kachallom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said that there were five memos from the Coordinating Minister of Health, adding that they were all related to the Department of Food and Drugs.
Daju said that the memos were stepped down on Monday and scheduled for re-presentation.
She also provided clarification on the previously contentious healthcare waste-management memo, explaining that the N3.5 million requests tied to the proposal had already been repurposed by the Global Fund.
“I have followed up, and I am informed that the funds have been reprogrammed. Just so we put it to rest, we will not be discussing that memo anymore,” she said.
She also said that the final memo considered on Monday was the proposal for the inclusion of telemedicine services under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
“The next memo scheduled for presentation is the proposal for the establishment of Medipool as a Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) for medicines and health commodities in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Dr Oritseweyimi Ogbe, Secretary of the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC), formally notified the Council of the establishment of Medipool, a new public-private GPO created to strengthen the procurement of medicines and health commodities nationwide.
Presenting an information memorandum at the technical session, Ogbe explained that Medipool was the first nationally approved GPO designed to leverage economies of scale, negotiate better prices, and ensure quality-assured medicines.
He said this was beginning with primary healthcare facilities funded through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
According to him, Medipool was established after a proposal to the Ministry of Health, followed by appraisals and endorsements by the Project Implementation and Verification Committee (PIVAC) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).
“It subsequently received Federal Executive Council approval, with MOFI now owning 10 per cent of the company’s shares. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has also approved its operations.
“Under the model, Medipool will work with Drug Management Agencies (DMAs) in all states to aggregate national demand and negotiate directly with reputable manufacturers to obtain competitive prices and guaranteed-quality supplies.
“The platform will function as a one-stop shop for DMAs, who will then distribute medicines to health facilities through existing state structures.”
Ogbe added that while Medipool will initially focus on BHCPF-supported primary healthcare centres, it was expected to expand to other levels of care nationwide.
“The organisation will provide regular reports to the ministry of health and participate in national logistics working groups to ensure transparency, oversight, and technical guidance,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Day One of the 66th NCH technical session opened with a call reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to advancing Universal Health Coverage under the theme “My Health, My Right”.
“The delegates also adopted the amended report of the 65th NCH, setting the stage for informed deliberations.
The implementation status of the 19 resolutions from the previous Council was also reviewed, highlighting progress and gaps.
The authorities of Police Clinic in Port Harcourt have reported high cases of Malaria in its facility.
The revelation was made by Mrs Udoh Mba Robert, a Chief Superintendent of Police and senior medical personnel in the Clinic.
She told The Tide that,”the Hospital admits sixty (60) to seventy (70) patients in a month”.
On how the facility runs, she stated that the hospital is under the National Health Insurance Scheme as most patients are treated almost free.
She maintained that staff of the hospital have been trained professionally to manage health issues that come under the purview of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Mrs. Robert explained that malaria treatment also falls under NHIA, as patients are expected to pay only 10 per cent for their treatment while the government takes care of the outstanding bills.
NHIA, she further stated covers treatment and care for uniform personnel like the police force, military men, civil servants and all others working for the government.
Urging the public to seek professional medical attention, Mrs. Robert said the facility is open to workers in the federal services, especially police staff.
Favour Umunnakwe, Victory Awaji, Excel Nnodim