Health
NPHCDA Renovates 95 PHC Facilities
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it revitalised and renovated 95 of the 110 earmarked Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities under Rapid Response initiatives and PHC revitalisation programme.
The agency’s Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuaib, told newsmen last Sunday in Abuja that the PHC Revitalization and Renovation programme was inaugurated by President Muhammad Buhari.
Shuaib said one of the top priorities of the agency was to provide technical support to state governments to facilitate smooth implementation of the PHC programme.
He added that beyond revitalisation of PHC facilities, NPHCDA was working with key stakeholders to review the general system of managing PHC centres across the country.
He explained that the new system of management was to ensure adequate distribution of human resources, equipment, availability of drugs, power, water and other things with a view to improving efficiency and quality of PHC services.
He said “the policy of PHC under one roof is to promote the consolidation of management of PHC under state primary health care development agencies for quality PHC services.
“Consolidating the PHC system which aims to have one management system and one plan is one of my major thrust since assumption of office as Executive Director in January this year.
“We have been able to ensure that states that have not implemented PHC under one roof complied and implemented the programme.
“As at today, only Bayelsa is yet to pass the bill for the establishment of State Primary Health Development Agency.”
Shuaib said the agency was working to change the image and culture of work at NPHCDA by ensuring proper accountability, strengthen routine immunisation and the supply chain.
The executive director, who stressed the need for quality f PHC system in the country, stressed that the PHC system in Nigeria was still sub-optimal.
He added that “it is easy to say we have come a long way from where we are in the past.
The Federal Government has begun a scheme to battle malnutrition in children.
Tagged, “Nutrition 774 Initiative”, the programme was unveiled by Vice President Kashim Shettima as it falls within a framework for the Federal Government’s comprehensive vision for a nationwide nutrition programme to address malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria.
The proposed programme, “Nutrition 774 Initiative,” aims to improve nutritional outcomes across all 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.
Speaking yesterday during a roundtable with development partners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, VP Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader focus on food security and availability across Nigeria.”The priority with which His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has pursued food availability has gone hand-in-hand with our commitment to eradicating malnutrition.
“Our aspiration as a nation goes beyond the mere abundance of food in our barns and warehouses. We cannot claim victory unless there is certainty that each household across Nigeria has access to the preferred and prescribed diets essential for a healthy life,” the vice president stated.
It would be recalled that the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) had in September endorsed the Nutrition 774 programme as a primary platform for combating malnutrition within Nigerian communities.
The council encouraged development partners to provide financial and technical assistance to support this initiative.
The importance of e-Health devices and digital health solutions in improving Nigeria’s healthcare system has been emphasised by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Secondary and Tertiary.
She also stressed that health is a multilayered activity and a multisectoral collaboration that requires legislators to work together to provide legislation, implement policies, and track funds effectively.
Banigo, who represents Rivers West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, made these remarks at the 5th Annual Legislative Summit on Health in Abuja, themed “Improving Legislative Stewardship and Accountability for Universal Health Coverage.”
She highlighted the potential of eHealth devices, especially given Nigeria’s large population and limited healthcare professionals.
“We can develop platforms that can be accessed through simple phones, even in remote villages, to provide health education and interventions,” she said.
“We are not talking about highfalutin things; we are talking about what will impact communities at the grassroots level, particularly pro-poor initiatives that will benefit vulnerable populations.”
Banigo also emphasized the importance of accountability and effective care, encouraging legislators to share knowledge, engage in peer reviews, and exchange information to achieve better health outcomes.
She recalled the cholera outbreak, where basic health education and interventions could have been delivered via mobile phones, preventing preventable deaths.
The 5th Annual Legislative Summit on Health brought together federal and state legislators, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, the World Health Organisation’s representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, and other dignitaries.