The Sokoto State Government has lauded the efforts of its partners on family planning and other healthcare interventions and also reiterated its commitment to sustain efforts.
The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Lema Abubakar, made the commendation during the Sokoto State Stakeholders’ Inception meeting of IntegratE 2.0 Project on Friday.
The event was organised by the Sokoto State Government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and Society for Family Health.
IntegratE 2.0, a four-year project co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Merck for Mothers, seeks to advance the quality of Family Planning services provided by Community Pharmacists, and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors in 11 states.
It also seeks to increase women and girls’ access to modern Family Planning methods and Primary Health Care by improving the quality of services provided by CPs and PPMVs across the 11 focal states from 2024 –2026.
Lema said the state government was determined to sustain efforts to ensure proper utilisation of the projects provided by development partners working in the state.
The commissioner gave an assurance that the state would consolidate remarkable successes recorded in the health sector through partnerships with donor partners at all levels.
He described the contributions of development partners in Sokoto State as worthy of commendation, saying it helped to improve the healthcare system and delivery in the state.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Almustapha Ali, described the meeting as timely and crucial as it would go a long way to improve the activities of service providers.
He also gave an assurance that the state government would look forward in terms of partnership with stakeholders to enhance healthcare services to the people of the state.
The Project Coordinator, Dr. Dayyabu Yusuf, said the project was aimed at training registered PPMVs and CPs along with primary healthcare workers in the intervention states.
He explained that the engagement entails study sponsorship in the requisite health institutions, certification, accreditation and licence issuance to personnel under PCN watch.
Dr. Yusuf observed that although 60 per cent of Nigerians sought healthcare from CPs and PPMVs, the government focused mainly on public healthcare providers – who account for only 40 per cent of access to care.
He said CPs and PPMVs were authorised by Nigerian laws to provide FP and PHC services, hence would be trained and supervised to aid in the reduction of disease burden.
In their separate remarks, the Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Sokoto State Ministry of Health, Musa Hamisu, Dr. Sani Mustafa from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, spoke about the importance and benefits of the project.
(NAN)
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