BY: NASIRU MOHAMMED WAZIRI, KANO
The National Association of Medical and Health Workers, in collaboration with Public Service International (PSI), has organized a one-day workshop under the Communication Health Project with the theme: “The Role of Workers in Attaining Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria: From Policy to Practice.”
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Association, Kano State Chapter, Comrade Babangida Musa, said the engagement was designed to involve media practitioners in highlighting the critical role of community health workers in translating health policies into practice.
He stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve effective health care delivery without strengthening primary health care, where community health practitioners play a pivotal role.
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According to him, the workshop is part of PSI’s initiative, with only two states—Kano and Delta—selected for the program in Nigeria.
He explained that the gathering also serves as a platform for stakeholders to evaluate activities carried out throughout the year.
Speaking on the Abuja Declaration of 2021, Comrade Musa noted that the federal government had directed states to allocate 15 percent of their budgets to the health sector.
He pointed out that Kano State has consistently allocated over 15 percent to health since 2018.
Representing the State Commissioner for Health, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Shehu Usman Abdullahi, lamented the challenges facing health care delivery in Kano, including congestion and the daily influx of no fewer than one million visitors for business purposes.
He cited international health standards that require one medical facility for every 500 people in a gathering, emphasizing that community health workers constitute about 70 percent of Nigeria’s health workforce and perform responsibilities even more critical than those of doctors.
Dr. Abdullahi stressed that every health worker, from doctors to cleaners, contributes to the effectiveness of the health system. He further assured participants that the communiqué from the workshop would be transmitted to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for prompt consideration and approval.
He added that the governor has always been responsive to matters concerning public health in the state.
Dignitaries present at the event included the Commissioner for Health, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association represented by the Vice President, the Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Director of the State Primary Health Care Management Board, the Director-General of the Agency, and other stakeholders.