By Harry Awurumibe, EDITOR, ABUJA BUREAU
National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) said it will focus on attaining the set target of 10,000 fully equipped and functional primary healthcare facilities across Nigeria.
This cheering news was dropped in Abuja by NPHCDA Executive Director/CEO, Dr. Faisal Shuaib who also said that the agency is ensuring the resilience of Primary Health Centres (PHC) system while leveraging the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to improve PHC facility functionality.
Prompt News reports that under Dr. Shuaib as NPHCDA boss, Nigeria was declared Polio-Free nation on August 25, 2020.
He disclosed that in driving the Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda, the agency will focus on four strategic areas over the next few years of PHC revitalization.
“The Agency will focus on attaining the set target of 10,000 fully equipped and functional PHC facilities in Nigeria, and ensuring the resilience of the PHC system while leveraging the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to improve PHC facility functionality while embarking on Post-Polio PHC System Strengthening”, Dr. Shuaib stated.
According to him, “there will be a focus on adapting lessons from polio eradication initiatives, and injecting polio experiences and resources to sustainably strengthen the primary health care system CHIPS Programme.
“The programme will be scaled-up to further increase demand for PHC services and shore-up confidence of citizens in our health system Human resources for health.
“There will be increased effort to expand the availability and capacity of Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) to help ensure the drastic reduction of the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria”.
Dr. Shuaib also revealed that, “this will help in strategically addressing the perennial challenges with Human Resources for Health (HRH) availability, capability, and distribution”.
