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US-CDC, RSG Launch Integrated HIV, TB, COVID-19 Screening, Service Delivery
The United State Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) and the Rivers State Government have launched an integrated HIV, TB and COVID-19 screening, detection, treatment and prevention to address the negative impacts of the triple epidemic on the people of the state.
The Integrated screening and service delivery for TB, HIV, and COVID-19 service delivery was launched by representatives of the US-CDC and Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the official launch, the Country Director of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Mary Adetinuke Boyd, said, “the triple epidemic of HIV, TB, and COVID-19 poses a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that all three diseases are relentless, damaging, and continue to cost countless lives in our communities. However, because detection, treatment, and prevention exist and are readily available to us right here and right now, we have an opportunity to respond and save many lives.”
She said that with the support of the US-CDC, the integrated screening and service delivery for these three diseases aim to integrate COVID-19 screening into points where HIV and TB services are already being provided, thereby improving access to early detection and prevention, and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare facilities and communities.
“In addition, this novel initiative will scale up the utilisation of an antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for timely and efficient triage, Infection Prevention Control (IPC), and accelerated vaccine uptake by creating additional access points and communication that promote the importance of the COVID-19 vaccines, thereby reducing the chances of severe illness and death”, she said.
She urged healthcare workers to be the champions against vaccine misinformation and disinformation, and to lead by example in promoting the use of vaccines against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement by the US Mission in Nigeria made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt said that: “To date, Nigeria has had three COVID-19 waves, and Rivers State has been deeply affected, reporting the 3rd most considerable burden of COVID-19 and COVID-19 deaths in the country. Moreover, due to the government’s commitment to active surveillance, the data shows that each subsequent COVID-19 wave in Rivers State has higher peaks in cases and deaths”.
Boyd said, “While we battle the COVID-19 pandemic, other disease outbreaks didn’t give us a break; instead, the intensity of cholera and environmental polio in Nigeria soared higher than we’ve experienced in years. It reminds us that these devastating health threats are unpredictable, and even worse, if we are not ready to respond with agility.
“Integrating screening and service delivery for COVID-19, HIV, and TB in Rivers State will also strengthen the health system to detect and respond robustly to emerging outbreaks while putting the patient at the centre of healthcare service delivery”, she said.
The statement said earlier, during a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, and the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Boyd discussed efforts at supporting Rivers State towards tackling HIV, TB, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
She commended the exemplary leadership of the state government towards the health sector leading to essential milestones in HIV epidemic control and the strong collaboration with US-CDC and its implementing partner, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN).
“CDC’s robust support to the HIV response in Rivers State has resulted in demonstrable progress, with the state attaining 90% treatment coverage within 24 months”, she said.
Boyd noted the success recorded in Rivers State despite the pandemic demonstrates the incredible resilience of the PEPFAR infrastructure, but she agreed with Rivers State Government officials that these successes are at risk if programming for the other rampant preventable causes of death like tuberculosis and COVID-19 are not mainstreamed and addressed.
“The U.S. Government is at the forefront of providing support to Rivers and other states in Nigeria for HIV epidemic control, TB elimination, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Through strong collaboration with the United States Government and other multilateral including WHO, UNICEF, and the Global Fund, integration of triple disease screening and service delivery for COVID-19, HIV, and TB will enable states like Rivers State to close the HIV treatment gap further, increase COVID-19 vaccination and ultimately reduce infectious disease morbidity and mortality,” she said.
It would be recalled that to date, the United States Government has donated over 7.5million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nigeria.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.