Taraba to sustain primary health care funding 

Taraba Deputy Governor and chairman, Task Force on Primary Health Care, Aminu Alkali on Saturday, said government will do everything possible to sustain the gains the UNICEF/GAVI health support project has brought to the state.

Alkali made the pledge at the end of a one-day retreat with state and local government policymakers on Primary Health Care performance and the sustainability of the PHC Memorandum of Understanding implementation between the state government, UNICEF and GAVI held in Yola, Adamawa State.

According to him, “The administration of Governor Agbu Kefas, appreciates the intervention of UNICEF/GAVI in funding and technical support to the state Primary Health Care Development Agency and we are determined to sustain the gains of the project as the MoU come to a close.

“Health care delivery is at the heart of our moving forward agenda and that is why the government is investing heavily in the area of health care. We inherited this MoU and we are determined to sustain the implementation,” he said.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health care Development Agency, Dr. Tukura Nyigwa, said poor release of funds to the agency was responsible for the ineffective functioning of primary health care centres in the state.

Nyigwa revealed that PHCs in Taraba were facing significant challenges due to the non-payment of counterpart funds, adding that despite GAVI providing the necessary funding, the Taraba government has not met its commitments, including the engagement of 450 health workers.

“GAVI has engaged 300 workers and as the MoU comes to an end, the Taraba State government needs to absorb them to ensure sustainability.”

“We need a stand-alone office accommodation for the agency and I want to appeal to the Governor to urgently construct suitable office accommodation to attract more funding from our partners to the agency,” Nyigwa added.

Our correspondent reports that the retreat had in attendance Local Government Council Chairmen and other stakeholders in the health sector.