By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Government yesterday revealed that over 4,000 Primary Health Care facilities of the 10,000 earmarked for revitalization across the country have been revitalized.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated this at the commemoration of World Health Day and World Health Workers Week, in Abuja.

The theme of the 2023 World Health Day is “Health for All – Strengthening PHC to Build Resilient Systems”, while the theme of the 

World Health Workers Week is “Investing in the Health Work Force”.

He added that the revitalization improved primary healthcare services in Nigeria and reduced challenges women face in childbirth and addressing home emergencies.

On COVID-19 he said, it is imperative for Nigeria to achieve at least 70% vaccine coverage in order to have strong herd immunity against the COVID-19 virus.

According to him the Federal Government, in a bid to reverse poor health indices and provide Universal Health Coverage initiated the revitalization of about 10,000 primary healthcare centers nationwide, exemplified by the revitalized Kuchigoro PHC in FCT. More than 4,000 PHCs have been revitalized so far, while working towards a new PHC model equipped will staff quarters, solar power, and assured potable water supply, to enable 24/7 service provision to citizens. These steps have improved primary healthcare services in Nigeria and reduced challenges women face in childbirth and addressing home emergencies.

“The Basic Health Provision Fund (BHCPF) was established by the 

National Health Act (2014) to provide and finance essential health services that address our poor health indices at Primary Health centers, to poor and vulnerable citizens, especially in rural areas, on our path to Universal Health Coverage. The effort includes the provision of emergency medical services with a rural Ambulance System (RAS) under a National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS).

“The Federal Government (FGoN) through National Primary Health Care services has as of 1st April 2023; fully vaccinated 71,477,351 Nigeria residents with COVID-19 vaccines representing 61.6% of the targeted eligible population and another 82,474,931 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The Country is still implementing the SCALES 3.0 strategy using Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine until we achieve at least 70% coverage needed for strong herd immunity against the COVID-19 virus”.

On polio, he said, “Nigeria has remained free of wild poliovirus (WPV) which led to WPV 

certification of the African region in August 2020. In over 6 years, there has been no WPV found in Nigeria; a feat backed by a robust and efficient surveillance system, which supports empirical evidence that the wild poliovirus has been interrupted in the country. 

“Nigeria’s immunization profile records a significant improvement 

from 33% in 2016 to 57% in 2021, despite Covid-19 pandemic distractions. 

the 2022/23 supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) were integrated into other PHC services under the motto: “One Country, One 

Team, One Plan, One Budget”. The SIAs (Measles, Yellow fever & Men A) 

were integrated with COVID-19 in all States, with routine Immunization in zero dose LGAs, Vitamin A in 10 states, and Birth Registration in 18 states. Zero dose reduction strategy was implemented in 64 LGAs in 9 states 

identified with a high number of unimmunized children”.

World Health Organization, WHO, Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, in his message, lamented the lack of access to much-needed health care in the region.

“About half of Africa’s citizens (48%) – some 672 million people – still do not have access to the health care they need. This results from weak health systems characterized by inadequate health infrastructure; poorly designed policies to limit financial barriers to health services; shortage of qualified health workers; inadequate access to quality medicines, medical products, and innovative technologies”.

But despite this setback, she said there have been some achievements like Smallpox, which claimed an estimated 300 million lives in the 20th century alone, has been eradicated. Since 1974, millions of children have received life-saving vaccines and other child survival interventions.

“Between 2011 and 2021, new HIV infections in the WHO African Region were reduced by 44% and AIDS-related deaths by 55%.  TB deaths in the region fell by 26% between 2015 and 2021. Simultaneously, healthy life expectancy in the African Region increased on average by ten years per person between 2000 and 2019”, she said. 

 The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA,  Resident Representative Ulla Mueller, in her goodwill message lamented the continuous increase in maternal deaths not only due to unavailability of health services,  inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care but also due to lack of or inadequate human resources at the PHC levels both in numbers and skills mix. 

UFPA, therefore, reaffirms its strong commitment to assisting Nigeria to build a resilient and stronger Health System that upholds the rights of all people to reach the highest possible standard of health through support to Human Resources for Health development.