The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has reaffirmed the Federal Governmt’s commitment towards achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage in Nigeria.
A statement issued to LEADERSHIP, on Thursday, revealed that the Minister gave the assurance during a Road Show Sensitization Campaign to mark the World Universal Healthcare Coverage Day at the Kuchigoro Community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
Adewole further encouraged the people of the community to support the government to achieve quality health care across the country.
The United States Agency for International Development, USAID, has disclosed that approximately 100,000 children die from diarrhoea in Nigeria annually.
USAID Chief of Party, Dr. Ayodele Iroko, made this known at the Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector, SHOPS, project in Makurdi.
UNIVERSALLY, the Primary Health Care, PHC, is a form of essential service that is based on scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology to make health care accessible to all individuals and families in a community.
Although considered the cornerstone of universal health systems, PHCs have often been neglected in terms of funding and other areas of operations in many states across the nation. The long neglect of this level of care has in turn brought grief on the secondary and tertiary facilities.
Standard healthcare
For a long time, the Lagos State government has claimed to operate free maternal and childcare programme in the state, to make healthcare affordable among the vulnerable groups and reduce the tin evil of maternal and newborn death. But the reality appears different, as pregnant women in some sampled primary healthcare centres and general hospitals across the state are often forced to bear the financial cost of delivery and accessing antenatal services, even in the face of the policy.
As part of efforts to improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes and consolidating on the gains of the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), the Federal Government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is deploying 1,473 newly graduated basic midwives to Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in rural areas throughout the 36 States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is deploying 1,473 newly graduated basic midwives to Primary Health Care facilities in rural areas throughout the 36 States and FCT.
The deployment is aimed at improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes and consolidating on the gains of the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) of the Federal Government.
The deployment was announced through a press statement signed by Saadu Salahu Head, Public Relations Unit.
Chioma Umeha
Lagos-To ensure proper implementation of a functional primary Health care (PHC) per ward, all states have been urged to establish State Primary Health Care Development Board (SPHCDB) and make it fully functional in line with the national guidelines.
The call was contained in a communique which was issued at the end of a two-day meeting on Primary Health Care (PHC) implementation roll out for Southwest and Edo states.
The Director of Medical services, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board (LSPHCB), Dr Sanni Fausat Oluyombo has said 248 wards out of the 376 wards in Lagos have functional Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).
She made this known at the 9th quarterly civil society media forum on strengthening the health systems in Nigeria through Strengthening Health System in Nigeria through PHC Under One Roof: Progress, Challenges and Way Forward (PHCUOR) organised by Development Communication Network (DevComs).
When NOTAGAIN Campaign Media team visited Igbologun, an island community in Amuwo Odofin Local Governmenr Area of Lagos State, we witnessed the helpless situation experienced by pregnant women and children in the community with respect to health care. Located close to the traditional ruler’s quarters is a Maternity Centre which appeared to be deserted as there were no patients in the facility at the time of visit.
