Zamfara Government said it has received $2.5million from Saudi Arabian Donor Agency to support internally displaced persons with humanitarian challenges.

The Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters, Alhaji Musa Kainuwa disclosed this at the closing session of a five-day medical training on Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) in Gusau on Friday.

The training was organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with State Ministry for Humanitarian and Relief Matters.

Kainuwa said the state secured the assistance during a joint meeting between the donor organisation, Jigawa, Katsina and Zamfara state governments held in Kaduna.

“We are not relenting in our efforts in searching for assistance to ensure we give the desired treatment and support to vulnerable communities.

“We must commend the UNFPA, WHO and all other international donor organisations that are providing the state with all forms of humanitarian gesture to ease the lives of the vulnerable,” he said.

In his remarks, Dr Audu Alayande of UNFPA, noted with concern the extent of humanitarian crisis that hit the state, saying UNFPA would continue to render the needed support.

“In two weeks coming, we will be back to the state for the training of Humanitarian Desk Officers across the 14 local government areas of the state.

“The training is to enhance their capacity towards effective management of the displaced persons,’’ Alayande said.

Misbahu Abubakar of Gurbinbore Primary Healthcare in Zurmi local government and Muhammad Jamilu of Dankurmi Primary Healthcare in Maru local government were participants who shared their experiences on the five-day workshop.

They explained that they really passed through rigorous interface lectures that educated them on the needs of the displaced persons and possible methods of managing their health crisis.

The duo added that the training gave them the opportunity to better understand MISP and expressed determination to implement the procedure to displaced persons.

They appreciated both the state government and UNFPA for finding them worthy of the training, believing that it would go a long way in reducing humanitarian crisis among victims of bandits attacks. (NAN)

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

No fewer than 56 primary healthcare centres, schools and market places have been shut down due to ceaseless activities of armed bandits in Katsina-Ala local government area of Benue State.

Chairman of the Local Government Council, Justine Shaku who disclosed this to newsmen on phone in Makurdi said that all social infrastructure within eight council wards have been damaged.

For the past one year, the armed bandits have crippled every social and economic activity in the affected wards, leaving several schools, markets and clinics a no go area.

Given a breakdown of the social infrastructures that have become inaccessible, Shaku disclosed that over 20 schools, 23 markets and 13 primary health clinics remain shut in the eight council wards where the criminal elements have been doing exploits.

“Insecurity in the area has been challenging. Agriculture, which is the major source of our livelihood, is greatly affected because of so many challenges at the moment.”

“My administration will seriously focus on rebuilding, rehabilitating and resuscitating all the broken economic sectors within the council.

“I will focus on health, education, roads, agriculture and security, to boost the council’s economy, “and to ensure that the schools are back to life.”

“I will rebuild the local government council secretariat which has become an eyesore”, Shaku said.

According to him, with the Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local governments, he is set to rebuild the decayed infrastructure within the council and strive to deliver on his campaign promises.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The Benue State Government, on Tuesday said, it has successfully treated and discharged a total of 1,939 people with all forms of Tuberculosis (TB) within the last three months in the State.

The State Programme Manager, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Program, Dr.

Akaangee, who gave an overview of TB program implementation and the policies around TB activities in the State, stated that the patients were treated and successfully discharged between April 1 to June 30, 2024.

He noted that the state government has done so much in TB case finding and treatment.

According to him, “active TB case finding through the state TB and Leprosy control program and DOTs services started in 2001 in Local Government Area, (LGAs) including Gwer East, Otukpo, Logo and Ohimini and where 162 cases were diagnosed and placed on treatment.

“Currently, TB active case finding and treatment is obtainable in all the 23 LGAs. As of June 30th, there are 1939 patients on treatment for all forms of TB.

“This number is the validated number of clients and active cases that were placed on treatment and not those diagnosed. Because of the robust strategies that have been in place, we always identify them early and as at June 30, no mortality was recorded in the state.”

“I want to use this opportunity to call on people of the state to seek medical help whenever anyone suspects a TB case. There is a treatment centre for drug-resistant TB cases at St. Vincent Hospital Aliade, while those with latent TB and close contacts can be placed on Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment, (TPT).

“We have   adopted several strategies in TB case finding by checking public and private places especially in communities and in key populations like IDPs, correction centres, HIV infected clients, nomads among others”, Akaangee stated.

He said inadequate funding, ineffective monitoring, inadequate reporting, low case finding in children, resurgence of HIV, low stakeholder involvement and ineffective stakeholder collaboration were some of the challenges confronting the programme in the state.

The State Programme Manager however appealed for all hands to be on deck as much has been done in active case finding and treatment and more needs to be done to eliminate the disease in the state.

He commended Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia for the huge budgetary allocation to TB program, stating that the timely release of the funding and capacity building of health workers will go a long way to achieve the target of TB implementation in the state.

He further commended Lawyers Alert, an NGO, for launching Gender Equality Fund project to advance community rights and end gender barriers in the treatment of TB, HIV and Malaria in Benue and Nigeria at large, stressing that partnership is the way to go for effective implementation of the program in the state.

He however advocated for laws to cater for TB survivors and their right to life.