Ondo govt, World Bank to revamp primary healthcare system with N13b

The Ondo State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, has announced an investment of N13.5 billion to revamp the state’s Primary Health Care (PHC) system.

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The funding will be used to improve infrastructure, enhance personnel training, and provide essential medications to patients.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative, tagged the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT Project), was discussed during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on Tuesday in Akure.

The Project Manager of the IMPACT Project, Pius Omode, shared details of the initiative during the meeting, highlighting the long-term goals of enhancing healthcare access and services across the state.

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Mr Omode explained that the project is set to conclude this year, as its implementation period spans approximately one and a half years.

“So far, within the one and half years, we have spent N1.5 billion across the malaria component and the immunisation plus component. For 2025, we are planning to spend up to N12 billion for the two components, that is for malaria activities and immunisation plus activities,” he said.

He added that the IMPACT Project is about improving immunisation services, improving reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health care service delivery, as well as nutrition and malaria prevention.

He said 102 primary health facilities have been awarded for upgrading and there will be procurement of drugs to patients in all PHCs facilities.

Speaking at the meeting, Francis Akanbiemu, the Permanent Secretary of Ondo State Primary Heath Care Development Agency, commended the State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa for paying attention to the PHCs facilities in the state.

Mr Akanbiemu added that the IMPACT Project had come to provide many interventions to change the indices from negative to positive in the healthcare system.

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According to him, the greatest killer diseases are preventive and they can be tackled through immunisation.
“The renovation of primary health facilities has begun in the first phase, and the project has introduced digitalisation processes in the system,” he said.

The State Head of Service, Bayo Phillip, who declared the stakeholders’ meeting open, noted that the project is in line with the state government’s blueprint.

Mr Phillip added that the government had concluded recruitment of medical officers and nurses, adding that other medical personnel would follow.

He urged traditional birth attendants to always refer pregnant women with difficult cases to government-owned health facilities to reduce child and maternal mortality in the state.
(NAN)