UNICEF Applauds Bauchi State for Commitment to Primary Healthcare Development
Posted by Abdulaziz Ibrahim Hassan | 2 months ago | 95 times
The Bauchi State Government has been commended by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for its consistent efforts in advancing primary healthcare through regular payment of counterpart funding.
Chief of Field Office at UNICEF Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, made this remark during an interview at the 2024 Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board Annual Retreat held in Gombe.
Dr. Rafique acknowledged the strong partnership between Bauchi State, UNICEF, and other development partners while urging the state government to increase its financial contributions under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further curb maternal and child mortality rates in the state.
She, however, expressed concern that statistics show seven out of ten deliveries in Bauchi State still occur at home, calling for strengthened community mobilization efforts to address this issue and achieve improved health outcomes.
Furthermore, she highlighted that several local government areas in the state have children who have not received any immunization ever, stressing the need for stakeholders in the health sector to scale up interventions to reach underserved communities and save more children's lives.
Dr. Rafique also shed light on UNICEF’s significant financial commitment to Bauchi State, revealing that the organization’s 2023-2024 investment totals 3.4 trillion Naira with 1.8 trillion Naira accounting for 53% of the budget was allocated to health, one of UNICEF’s five priority sectors.
While declaring the 2024 Primary Health Care End-of-Year Retreat open, the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, highlighted the significance of the annual retreat in evaluating achievements and addressing challenges in the state’s healthcare sector.
He emphasized the retreat's theme, “Towards Achieving Sustainable Primary Health Care Financing in Bauchi State,” and noted that expert-led sessions and group discussions would provide actionable strategies for financial sustainability, resource mobilization, and improved healthcare delivery in the state.
The Deputy Governor commended the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board for its efforts, noting progress in health indicators such as Penta 3 coverage, which increased from 31% to 58% in the 2023 NDHIS Survey, placing Bauchi second only to Adamawa State nationally.
Rt. Hon. Jatau also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, development partners, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders for their financial, technical, and grassroots mobilization efforts, urging participants to collaborate closely during the retreat to develop result-oriented strategies that would further enhance the state’s healthcare system and strengthen community involvement.
