Niger Govt Reiterates Commitment To Affordable, Quality Healthcare

The Niger State Government has reiterated its commitment to provision of affordable and qualitative healthcare services to people of the state.

Deputy of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba stated this on Tuesday during the official flag-off of implementation of Second Round Nov/Dec 2023 Optimized Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (OMNCHW) at Primary Healthcare Center in Bosso Local Government.

Represented by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon.Hamisu Jantabo, the Deputy Governor said that the event was a demonstration of the state government’s commitment towards reducing maternal and child mortality in the state.

Comrade Garba stressed that Maternal and Newborn Child Heath Week has become a veritable platform for reaching out to the vulnerable and underserved populations with life-saving essentials.

He noted that it is one of the numerous programmes that will reinforce government’s decayed healthcare infrastructure alongside other health interventions to ensure a healthy life for the people.

The Deputy Governor also explained that health sector is undergoing some remarkable transformations and repositioning, one of which is the creation of the Ministries of Primary Healthcare and Secondary and Tertiary Health as separate entities.

“This will enable our government to focus on the challenges peculiar to each level of healthcare service delivery in the state,” he said.

Also speaking, Commssioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Ibrahim Dangana disclosed that the programme was targeted at women and children below five years was expected to improve health indices in the state.

The Commissioner said that the services will run in all the 274 wards of all the 25 local government areas from 28th November to 4th of December, 2023.

Hon Dangana further urged women to visit any PHC to immunize their children, and anti-natal care, as well as the post-natal care and commended the present administration for creating the Ministries of Primary Healthcare and Secondary and Tertiary Health as separate entities.

In her remarks, Chairman, Bosso Local Government Area, Hon. Ladidi Bawa said that Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week is geared towards prioritizing lives and ensuring a healthy future to core values and aspirations of the society.

Hon Bosso said that health, women wellbeing and children remain pivotal to the growth and development of the state.

“We will support the state government in renovating, remodeling and upgrading of major focal PHCs across all the wards of the local government areas.”