The Rivers State Ministry of Health says it has identified some key challenges affecting the healthcare sector of the state.

This, it said, include shortages in critical health cadre, imbalance in workforce distribution between urban and rural communities, and weak workforce data integration.

The rest are: ageing personnel, attrition pressure, limited fiscal space, and increasing demand for health care services.

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, said this while declaring opene a five-day Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) Methodology and Data Collection workshop for health officers in the state, in Port Harcourt.

He said the programme was crucial due to the growing pressure on health systems globally, adding that it would go a long way in addressing critical challenges and also strengthen health care service delivery in the state.

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Wachukwu noted challenges facing the health sector such as shortages of skilled personnel, unequal distribution of health workers, migration, attrition, productivity concerns, rising disease burdens, and limited financial resources.

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According to him, the strength of any health system depends largely on the capacity of its workforce, describing health workers as essential to service delivery, disease surveillance, emergency response, maternal and child healthcare, and the achievement of universal health coverage.

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He restated the government’s commitment to adopting evidence-based workforce planning, backed by reliable data, strategic investment, and policy coordination rather than fragmented interventions.

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Wachukwu explained that the Health Labour Market Analysis would enable the state to evaluate workforce supply, demand, financing realities, and healthcare needs while identifying existing policy and investment gaps.

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“The exercise will help us develop practical strategies for building a resilient and sustainable health workforce capable of meeting the healthcare needs of our people”, he said.

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Wachukwu also acknowledged that although the state government has implemented reforms to strengthen the health sector, major challenges still persist.

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“This workshop comes at a very critical moment, not only for Rivers State, but for Nigeria’s health sector as well.

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“Across the country and indeed globally, health systems are increasingly confronted with major workforce challenges, shortages of skilled health workers, inequitable distribution, migration and attrition, productivity concerns, changing disease burdens and growing financial constraints”, the Permanent Secretary said.

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Emphasising the importance of collaboration and stakeholder participation, he noted that the success of the workshop would depend on the availability of quality data and institutional cooperation.

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He urged participants to contribute actively throughout the workshop and support the data gathering and analytical processes, stating that the outcome of the exercise would guide policy formulation, improve workforce performance, strengthen investments in the health sector, and enhance healthcare outcomes across Rivers State.

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The Permanent Secretary commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Clinton Health Access Initiative, World Health Organization, development partners, and stakeholders for supporting the initiative.

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Also speaking, the Assistant Director, Human Resources for Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja, John Okobia, said the HLMA exercise was specifically designed to address the unique healthcare workforce realities and needs of Rivers State.

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Okobia explained that the policy framework expected to emerge from the workshop would not be merely theoretical, but tailored towards practical solutions capable of improving healthcare delivery and outcomes across the state.

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He advocated for deliberate interventions aimed at strengthening the health sector and improving access to quality healthcare services, expressing optimism that the five-day workshop would produce fruitful outcomes that would support effective health workforce planning and better health indices in the state.

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“The policy that we are going to generate from here is not going to be a theoretical policy, but  is going to solve the practical needs of the people of River State.

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“With a population of about nine million people, Rivers State requires deliberate support and strategic interventions. What we aim to achieve through this exercise is to identify practical ways to improve health outcomes across the state.

“On that note, I want to sincerely thank you all for receiving us, and we are hopeful that the next five days will be productive and impactful”, he  said.

The workshop was organized by the state Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Social Welfare, Clinton Health Access Initiative, World Health Organization (WHO), and other development partners.